New Orleans Needs The Maid of Orleans

Where is Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, when you need her? New Orleans is in trouble. (AP Photo)

Sign the Petition of Redress. Either the Bush Kids Put Their Lives on the Line for George's "Noble War" or the Troops Come Home.

Today, I'm The Lazy Blogger. Link.

Katrina: The Super Dome Edition

I'm feeling a little bit of The Lazy Blogger's influence here drifting about Philly (heh), so my first post of the day says, 'Check out this picture of the Super Dome in New Orleans and the accompanying story in Attytood.' Then again, if I were The Lazy Blogger, I'd have just written Katrina and a thousand Thongians would have tried to be "frist" in the comments.

NOLA: Katrina Cams

Here's a set of live video cams in New Orleans. The Bead Cam tells a pretty powerful story this morning.

Hurricane Katrina bears down on New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina, a Category 5 storm, is 190 miles from New Orleans and is bearing down on the city. I spent a great week in NOLA this spring and it seems incredible that a 28-foot storm surge is predicted to swamp the city. CNN reports that if the dikes break it could take six months to clean up from the storm.

A friend lives in NOLA, and while thankfully she's out of town, her house isn't, and the risk of it not being there 24 hours from now is real. A friend of hers picked up her dog and is driving out of the city. It's taken over 4 hours just to get to the airport...and the traffic is building. From what I understand, they've now pointed all roads out of New Orleans, and I hope that everyone can get out in time. (I just heard on CNN that it will take 72 hours to get 60-70% of people out of the area. Wow.)

Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' Speech

Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his I Have a Dream speech on August 28, 1963. It still gives me a chill.

Advice to Lance Armstrong

Lance,

Don't go with the Marion Berry defense. Goddam bitch set me up just doesn't work. Stop addressing the items one by one. Just say "I didn't use performance enhancing drugs." And end it. Go away. This one will blow over. Don't give them fuel for the fire.

C'mon, man. We're with you. And my sugar packet philosophy applies here: Don't explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

CENTCOM propaganda hits a snag

From Amberglow on Metafilter: CENTCOM trolls for a blogger to help with the propaganda--but he picks Jesus' General.

Man, I'm still laughing.

George Bush bullshit protector

Bill Moyer, 73, wears a "Bullshit Protector" flap over his ear while President George W. Bush addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

Cool VFW guy.


Meanwhile, on the Cindy Sheehan front:
George Bush in Idaho on Tuesday: "I think those who advocate immediate withdrawal from not only Iraq but the Middle East are advocating a policy that would weaken the United States."

Cindy's reply: "This is the biggest smokescreen from him yet. I didn't ask him to withdraw the troops; I asked him, what 'noble cause' Casey died for. I am still waiting for one of the press corps to ask him that. I am still waiting for that answer.

First, we were told WMDs - false. Then we were told Saddam-Osama - false. Then we were told Saddam was a bad man to his own people and we had to get rid of him - he's gone. Then we were told the Iraqi people had to have elections - they did. Now we are spreading 'freedom and democracy' but we are building 14 permanent bases, some the size of Sacramento, California. To me that indicates that we are spreading the cancer of imperialism and usurping THEIR natural resources."

Legionnaire's Disease: The Lasting Effects

The American Legion called for all Americans to stop protesting the war in Iraq. I guess those stupid hats are made of tinfoil. Billmon nails the old, liver-spotted men to the wall about their duplicity.

Eternal sunshine of the thoughtless mind

Go over to Zen Comix and take a look at Eternal Sunshine of the Thoughtless Mind Part 2 cartoon. Best political cartoonist out there in my estimation. A daily read.

Chickenhawk stew

Etherealgirl has a brilliant essay about calling chickenhawks to task each and every time they squawk. A real thought-provoking piece.

Peruvian airliner crashes; Pat Robertson says, "That was close to Venezuela, Lord."

A Peruvian plan crashed yesterday about 400 miles from Lima. Pat Robertson, kooky evangelical Christian guy with a big following on The 700 Club, was heard praying, "Lord, just a little farther north. Venezuela. But what the heck, Lord, it's an honor to your omnipotence that you started with some brown people in South America to show your strength. Thank you for smiting those heathen Catholics, my Lord. They're kind of like Muslims, right?"

(photo via Spontaneous Uprising)

UPDATE: Onegoodmove has the video of Pat Robertson advocating murder. Hmmm...whatever happened to "all life is precious"?

UPDATE 2: Howard says on The Smedley Log: "On behalf of Christians everywhere, I beg you, please stop talking." That's what real Christians are saying.

Buzzflash: Americans Standing with Cindy Sheehan

Watch a new video on Buzzflash with clips of Cindy Sheehan and her supporters in Crawford, Texas. Powerful.

Gas prices: an arm and a leg

I smiled when I saw this picture on the cover of USA Today. I don't smile when I put gas in my car. I'm just happy that I'm public transportation guy in Philly and I only drive four miles a day round trip to catch the R5. I pity the poor suckers stuck on Blue Route each day, who burn off a dollar for each 15 minutes they're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Oh, and that global warming thing, too.

Blankbabied - pass it on

Wired: Blankbabied, where you get a job because your blog is so good.

Tired: Blacked out - when your blog is so boring that that no one cares enough to hire or fire you.

Expired: Dooced - where the very act of writing a blog gets you fired.

It's hard work being president

from our friends at Zen Comix. There are a lot more over there. Take a look.

23rd Psalm: The George Bush Version

Since it's Sunday, I thought this variation on the 23rd Psalm was appropriate.

Bush is a dickhead; I dwell in want.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness.
He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war,
I will find no exit, for thou art in office.
Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control, they discomfort me.
Thou preparest an agenda of deception in the presence of thy religion.
Thou anointest my head with foreign oil.
My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of thy term,
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.

(via BH)

Eminem was eating sleeping pills like...M&Ms

It's exhausting eating all those sleeping pills. Eminem checked himself into a rehab hospital to treat "exhaustion." Maybe they were the mega-sized sleeping pills, kind of like the Mega M&Ms.

A cautionary tale of why hot linking is a bad idea: Plus a bonus pic of Jude Law naked

NSFW

These people were hot linking pictures and using up someone's bandwidth, so the pictures were substituted with Jude Law's wee willie winkie.

Bad Hot Linker 1 (UPDATE: Site taken down. Cache available soon.)

Bad Hot Linker 2

Bad Hot Linker 3

Bad Hot Linker 4 (UPDATE: This one is now hotlinking another site that apparently didn't like that either.)

UPDATE: Bad Hot Linker 5 - Jude Law's Scrolling Tallywacker

UPDATE: Bad Hot Linker 6 - Since this one's 16, Katherine Harris was substituted for Jude's Nanny Knocker.


Hot. Linking. Bad.

Here I come to save the day: The Apple Mighty Mouse

I bought Apple's Mighty Mouse yesterday. Two words: Love it. The only downside: I find myself doing an Andy Kaufman impersonation about 10 times a day.

How many beers are in a keg?

Since college students across the nation are headed back to school, this scholar did a test to determine how many beers are in a keg. The answer: 141. George Bush knew that one off the top of his head even though he can't think of a date for withdrawal from Iraq.

Apple introduces the new iCrush and the iRiot

1,000 cheap iMacs. 5,500 people. And a chance to brand two new products - the iCrush and the iRiot.

George Bush Starts His Campaign for Little League President

George W. Bush started his Bush for Little League President '08 campaign Sunday night in Waco, Texas.

Mr. Bush, whose approval numbers are lower than either Ronald Regan's or Bill Clinton's at this point in their respective presidencies, bypassed Dick Cheney for Vice President of The Little League in favor of Condi Rice, who Mr. Bush told reporters, "juggles balls like no Secretary of State I've seen before." Ms. Rice, when asked about her role in the upcoming Little League President '08 campaign, said, "I'd be honored to serve alongside my husb...er, Mr. Bush as his ball girl. Cause I ain't no Hollaback Girl."

Pamela Anderson Shows Off Her Acting Talent

This will be the biggest post on iFlipFlop this week. This Yahoo photo of Pamela Anderson at The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson shows off her method acting technique. BTW: Cindy Sheehan is still in the ditch in Crawford, TX.

Lazy Blogger Monday

Cindy, Don and George. Read it. Wankers. I am the very model of the modern lazy blogger. Heh. Sources. Open thread. Open thread. Open thread. Oh hell, just go read Big Media Matt.

Truck tire explosion

On our way home yesterday on a thousand-mile ride from northern Michigan to Philadelphia we had a very scary incident. As I was passing a loaded semi-trailer in western Pennsylvania and was even with its back wheel the tire on the truck exploded. The noise was intense; the chunk of the tire hitting our van nearly knocked us sideways. Wow.

Now I read that this kind of problem is deadly and that we were very lucky - nothing really happened to us or the van. But I'll tell you, each time I passed a truck for the remaining 300 miles home I was really nervous.

Thought of the day: Slinkies

Some people are like Slinkies, not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

Global warming is real: The earth is melting

There are two major stories today about global warming. This one in New Scientist News describes the melting of a massive peat bog in Russia:

The world's largest frozen peat bog is melting. An area stretching for a million square kilometres across the permafrost of western Siberia is turning into a mass of shallow lakes as the ground melts, according to Russian researchers just back from the region.

The sudden melting of a bog the size of France and Germany combined could unleash billions of tonnes of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

The news of the dramatic transformation of one of the world's least visited landscapes comes from Sergei Kirpotin, a botanist at Tomsk State University, Russia, and Judith Marquand at the University of Oxford.

Kirpotin describes an "ecological landslide that is probably irreversible and is undoubtedly connected to climatic warming". He says that the entire western Siberian sub-Arctic region has begun to melt, and this "has all happened in the last three or four years".

And in another article in USA Today, scientists say, "Satellite and weather-balloon research released Friday removes a last bastion of scientific doubt about global warming."

In a couple years I'm thinking that Philadelphia will be the new Boca Raton. And I'll be enjoying my oceanfront property.

Make George Bush say the words you want him to say

BushSpeak

George Bush does Henny Youngman: How do you like me so far?

Pax has the stats on the reign of George Bush in Mission Accomplished: The Update.

The Runaway Bride and My Orange Period

Because using the words The Runaway Bride in a posting has more power than writing 1,800 soldiers killed so far in Iraq or George Bush is a liar, I present this photo of Jennifer Wilbanks, The Runaway Bride, doing her community service dressed in colors favored during my Orange Period.

10 Years Since Jerry Garcia Went Truckin'

Jerry Garcia died 10 years ago today. Dead Heads are still truckin'.

The space shuttle made it back safely

Following in the footsteps of The Lazy Blogger - whew!

Have you seen Mia Carter?

She's missing in Maryland. David at ISOU has the details. Please take a look.

In Northern Michigan

I'm in Harbor Springs, Michigan for a little vacation. On our way from Philly yesterday we stopped at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor. Best. Deli. Ever.


This picture was taken this morning at about 6:45 in Harbor Springs (that's Little Traverse Bay in the picture).

Off to Michigan

Here's where I'll be.

Bob Novak goes nuclear

Bob Novak's meltdown on CNN was a classic. Here's an overview of Novak the Coward from our friend at Zencomix.

Attytood's 100 People Who Are Screwing Up Philadelphia

Attytood has a list of 100 People Who Are Screwing Up Philadelphia.

Bob Novak is outed as a CYA operative

Watch Bob Novak freak out and walk off the CNN set. Now Bob's trying to cover his tracks - as a CYA operative.

Being stuck in a submarine at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean is an experience I can do without

A Russian submarine is stuck at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean with 15 sailors aboard. They have only one day's worth of oxygen left.

Um, in my life list, riding on a submarine that has the possibility of getting snagged in fishing nets can be struck from things to do.

The President's remarks to the Boy Scouts

President's remarks to surviving attendees of annual Boy Scout Jesus Jamboree & Super Sausage Hang.

Thx, B.

I've entered my Orange Period

Because I'm in my Orange Period, here's a Yahoo picture from a recent runway show. I've tired of being in the Blue Period, because otherwise I'd have to comment that 14 more Marines were killed in Iraq, a brain-dead woman gave birth and then died, or that Jen still loves Brad. But that was then, this is now, and I'm so into my Orange Period. Why worry when there's that endless search to find a word that rhymes with orange.

George Bush wants schools to teach intelligent design

George Bush told a group of reporters yesterday that school should teach intelligent design. He ignored the exquisite irony of that thought - because it's a rare person who would associate "intelligent" and "design" with George "Mission Accomplished" Bush.

The FBI's kidnapped and missing registry

Look here for the FBI's Kidnapped and Missing Person's Investigations. Have you seen any of these people? (Latoyia Figueroa is listed, btw.)

Strap-On to Bolt-On: How Bush screwed the Senate by appointing John Bolton as UN chief

Welcome to the Misanthrope's Club, Mr. Bolton. And if the Senate gives you any trouble, remember my words: "Bring 'em on."


President George Bush shows his impetuous Georgie Porgie side by appointing John Bolton as UN envoy on the first day of the Senate's summer recess. You just know this is right in character for Georgie Porgie, who probably threw beer bashes at the George Herbert Walker Bush ranch the minute mommy and daddy got out of earshot. Just like an incorrigible little kid - only trustworthy if he's being watched every second.