Heath Ledger died this past January, taking with him what looked to be a promising acting a career. What he left was a spell-binding and dark turn as the Batman's arch-nemesis The Joker in this summer/year's blockbuster The Dark Knight. However, with this positive contribution came a negative one. A wave of Ledger-style Joker look-a-likes dotting our Halloween eve. The Office already did a great job of parodying this in last night's episode, one I'm sure even Bill enjoyed.
Now, on the heels and in the heat of the Presidential election comes another costume trend set to dominate the night; that of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin. From the first time Tina Fey marched on stage as the fiercely attractive Governor of Alaska, one had the feeling that female political friend and foe alike of the governor would be donning frame-less glasses, bun-style hair and a fierce and fake accent ala Fargo. Well, my nightmare has already come true. I saw one fake Palin this afternoon, complete with a huge sticker of an Elephant meant to parody the Governors famous brooches, and I know that tonight will just bring more.
I fear tonight the Joker and the Governor will be out in multitudes.
Now for something awesome
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
How to Refuse a WMATA Search
Flex Your Rights has the tips on how to refuse a search in the DC Metro. Read it, learn it, and live it: this is important stuff, and could mean the difference between successfully protecting your privacy and ending up in a WMTPD holding cell. Two of their guidelines:
4) Do Not Physically Resist: Again, it is illegal for police to search, detain, or question you just because you refuse a search. But if the police proceed to detain, search, or arrest you despite your wishes -- do not physically resist. You may state clearly but non-confrontationally: "Officer, I am not resisting and I do not consent to any searches."
5) WARNING: DO NOT RUN! If you refuse to be searched and run into the station, you could be shot to death! In 2005, an innocent man was shot in the head by police in a London subway station. The man had reportedly run away after being approached and startled by an undercover officer. If you're approached by anyone suspicious in the subway, walk to the nearest uniformed officer for help -- but don't run away.
No joke, kids.
EDIT: Er, terrible. Cleaned it up. The original post was what happens when you blog with one hand while eating cake with the other. Mea Culpa.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Is the Patriot a spam blog?
I've heard the Patriot referred to as many things since I started writing for it last year, but today was the first time I ever heard it called a "spam blog." I logged on today only to find a warning that the blog was locked and I could not make any new posts. Since you're reading this post, I was obviously able to correct the error, but it still makes me wonder what happened. Below is Google's sparse description followed by similar sounding stories:
Your blog is locked
Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. (What's a spam blog?) Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for this false positive.
We received your unlock request on October 25, 2008. On behalf of the robots, we apologize for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam.
Find out more about how Blogger is fighting spam blogs.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Raising The Minimum Wage Does Wonders...Not!
From Taxing Tennessee:Lets see....we have "fixed" the problem of "affordable" housing. Now, we see strong evidence that we have"fixed" the problem of teen unemployment.I just can't wait until we "fix" the healthcare crisis.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Review: W
I will admit, going into W last night I was nervous. I was nervous at the prospect of having to sit through two and a half hours of inaccurate character assassination of President Bush. Worried that I would be forced to defend the President among the two anti-Bush fans that I went with, even though I myself am no fan of some of his policies. This, in retrospect was the wrong approach to take.
For those of you wishing to see W to have your own hatred of George W. Bush exercised upon the screen, then I believe you will be very disappointed. Oliver Stone's bio-pic of our 43nd President is accurate, insightful, and above all fair. Stone never paints Bush as the idiotic warmonger that his enemies portray him as. The Bush we see, with an Oscar-worthy performance by Josh Brolin, is sincere yet confused, strong-willed yet naive. The movie is Pro-Bush, the person. His administration is another story. Stone is not so kind to Cheney and Rumsfeld (played by Richard Dreyfuss and Scott Glenn, respectively). Both are protrayed as manipulative war-mongers with the "Dead Certain" attitude that many believe led us into folly in Iraq. Stone however avoids making them the puppet masters of Bush, showing several scenes where W is the one making the decision (he is the "decider") and putting the two in their place. The most unfair protrayal of the movie is Thandie Newton's Condellezza Rice. Newton's Rice is a nerdy bookworm in love with Bush's high-school jock. While there is much debate over Rice's feelings towards Bush, it seems Stone takes a few too many liberties, making her into a lovedrunk little girl who at times seems to lap at the feet of President Bush. Stone's Karl Rove (played by Toby Jones) is also interesting; he is a number-crunching weasel constantly telling talking points into the ear of Bush, something that in all honesty is most likely true. Jeffrey Wright's Colin Powell is cast as the hero of the movie, the man who warned of the trials of nation-building. While Bruce McGill's George Tenet is seen as a lazy buffon who could have easily stopped things over Iraq (namely, the "yellow cake" fiasco) had he the will power.
The rest of the cast fills out nicely as well, Stone tends take his most creative liberty with Bush's cabinet as well as with H.W Bush, a man who seems to not truly respect W, a situation that Bush 43 is constantly trying to overcome.
The film, though made on the fly, is very well done. It is at times funny and at others highly serious and psychological. I suggest that when you see it, you go with an open mind and non-partisan friends. This isn't a movie about Bush the Failure, it is a true and honest story of Bush the man and how he rose from drunken laziness, to the President of the United States.
Grade: A-
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Welsh "Bradley Effect"
The "Bradley Effect"--the controversial (and probably incorrect) theory that black candidates in American elections poll better than they ultimately perform in elections because many Americans are afraid of being perceived as racists by poll workers--may have a counterpart in Wales. Check this comparison of pre-election Welsh polls with the actual results from 2007.
Opinion polls in Wales are strange things. We don’t have many of them, but what we know is that for whatever reason they tend to overestimate support for Labour and Plaid Cymru, and underestimate support for the Conservatives in particular. We don’t know why that is – perhaps it’s something to do with the way samples are taken, or perhaps because of the traditional anti-Conservative hostility in Wales there is an unwillingness on the part of some to disclose they are Conservative voters.
Friday, October 17, 2008
TV Review: The Office, Season Five
The three latest episodes (of its fifth season) are, at best, hit-or-miss. Yesterday's installment started on a high-note with delightful, Schrute-driven manic pregnancy humor. The rest, though, was entirely forgettable. Perhaps the script lacks punch because NBC has been too busy capitalizing on The Office's popularity by building a bloated, alternative-reality web presence. Perhaps writer-actor B.J. Novak is taking cues from his character and spending too much time with the mid-town Manhattan Ski Team.
Whatever the reason, The Office just hasn't been very funny lately.
I can accept mediocrity from Family Guy. I've grown accustomed to it in The Simpsons. I practically expect it from the new, all-Palin-all-the-time "renaissance" of Saturday Night Live. But I expected more of Dunder Mifflin. I really did. The solid sources of its comedy have soured: Jim and Pam are in the middle of a supremely unfunny relationship crisis. Ryan Howard has practically disappeared behind the receptionists' desk. Jan Levinson's neuroses are overshadowed by humorless, doting motherhood. Lesser characters like Creed and Stanley have been reduced to appearing in the occasional pan of the camera. The list could go on, but I'll spare you.
I'm not sure I can live with a show in which Dwight Schrute is the only consistently funny character. A man cannot live on Rainn Wilson alone.
Come back, old Office. I miss you.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Daily Links
Will brought up the issue of college costs and college attendance last night in the comments section of my post. For the daily links today, I am going to repost Thomas Sowell's excellent pieces on the economics of college:
Thomas Sowell presents a three part series on the economics of college:
- Part 1: How many people would go to college if they had to pay the real cost of all the resources taken from other parts of the economy?
- Part 2: What if instead of taxpayers subsidizing education, college students sign enforceable contracts by which lenders would pay their college or university expenses in exchange for a given percentage of their future earnings?
- Part 3: Why does college cost so much?
I know I am coming off all high and mighty, but Mr. Sowell has it right. Higher education should be there for those who want it and who find it a worthy investment in their future, not simply because it's what society says you should do after high school.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Bill Flanigen: HBO Star or Heartthrob New England Patriots Quarterback?
Don't laugh. This is actually an amazing midterm distraction.
Gale Harold - 71%
Tom Brady - 60%
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
You've Got To Pimp My Walker
Reason.tv is starting a series of videos addressing the viability of Social Security. I'll admit, there's nothing intellectual about this one, but it is funny!
