Paris Hilton vs Sarah Silverman

For a moment, I had a twinge of sympathy for Paris Hilton as Sarah Silverman unloads on her at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards last night. Then I remembered that Paris Hilton is a pretty shitty person. If I were a comic with a national forum and a chance to goof on someone who is a no talent, droopy eyelidded, self indulgent, no shame having, self absorbed, famous for having sex on camera and posting it on the internet coke whore. I would think that that would be like manna falling from heaven.

For the record, I think that Sarah Silverman has gone up 6 gazillion points in my book. In about a minute, she eviscerates Paris Hilton and reduces her to the verge of tears:

The Democratization of Porn

The Webpreneur.com has a snippet about the tough times that the porn industry is going through right now (the whole post is here):

According to a New York Times article today, it has become more challenging to make money in the porn industry. Why? Thanks to online sites such as PornoTube and YouPorn (not work safe sites), porn enthusiasts have begun filming their own movies at home and uploading them to free sites. This shift in porn consumption has caused a 15 percent decline in pornographic video sales and rentals. And you thought music companies had it tough

So there's porn on the internet? And you can get it for free? Wow, I only use my high-speed internet connection to keep in contact with my friends and to do research on rehabilitating and raising orphaned panda bears...I could never imagine trying to do a google search on videos of college freshman sorority lesbian coeds on spring break in Cancun...I wouldn't have imagined that if you did that, you would get ANY results...

Jail Time for Uploading '24'

I hope that CTU has set up a perimeter for this dangerous criminal. Apparently, Jorge Romero gained access, through the Internet, to the first 4 episodes of '24' before they aired this season, and he uploaded them to another website which made them publicly available. Under a new law, signed by President Bush in 2005, this is now punishable by large quantities of jail time and enormous fines. This guy could go to jail for three years for uploading these TV shows.

This shows how disproportionate the punishments for copyright infringement have gotten compared to the damage caused. If this guy had stolen the tapes from Real Time Studios (the production company for '24'), as long as he didn't try to upload them to the Internet, it would probably be considered petty theft. However, upload them to the Internet, and all of the sudden, it's a major felony. The kowtowing of the US Government to the RIAA, the MPAA and the TV studios (content owners) is really unlike any other industry in America.

Also, it's not as if Mr. Romero was a person who had special access given to him by FOX or Real Time Studios. According to the story, he actually found the episodes on another website, which means he wasn't the first to have them on the Internet. The moral is clear: repeatedly drive drunk and with a suspended license, go to jail for 23 days. Upload a TV show to the Internet, throw away the key.

Update: Check out this link for a partial list of congresspeople who take the blood money from the RIAA. Some notables: Obama, Clinton, Specter, and Feinstein.

Guitar Hero II

So - I started playing Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 this week... talk about addictive. I've now accomplished unlocking every song in the game... I got to play Freebird. Apparently, its something of a hobby for people to post YouTube videos of them playing Guitar Hero II songs on the highest difficulty. Also, it is possible for some Playstation 2 owners to add additional songs into the game... don't ask me how they do it, but there are a lot out there. Here's my favorite song, as interpreted by Guitar Hero II:

Too bad he couldn't get the end in, but an admirable effort nonetheless.

Fred Thompson "exploring" White House Run

Fred Thompson today formed his exploratory committee for the 2008 Presidential campaign. Assuming he is able to raise some money (almost a foregone conclusion) and the polling is at least somewhat positive, this means that he will become the 11th major candidate for the Republican nomination. Once he enters the race, it is widely speculated that he will immediately become the overwhelming front-runner, much to the chagrin of Rudy and Mitt. I personally have been hoping that Thompson will run, simply because I feel that he is very electable, and he is politically in line with me (for the most part).

Here's a linky to Fred's page at On The Issues. This represents his congressional career and it has been a few years, but there are still many relevant issues. A summary of the big ones:

Abortion - tough, but his rhetoric suggests that if the Supreme Court overturns Roe, he will leave it to the states.

Education - yes on vouchers, abstinence education, plus tax cuts for school expenses, his feelings are unknown on the federal Dept. of Education.

Energy - yes for drilling in ANWR, unknown on nuclear power (my pet issue)

Government Intervention - voted for removing federal restrictions on violent video game sales to minors, pro McCain-Feingold, pro banning union/corp contributions, pro photo ID for voting

Guns - anti gun control

Social Security - pro privitizing at least part of social security, pro personal accounts

Taxes - pro internet tax moratorium, voted for tax cuts, voted for requiring supermajority for raising taxes

That's all I can summarize so far.

Peggy Noonan jumps ship

The Wall Street Journal contributor writes about her estrangement from the Bush administration:

The beginning of my own sense of separation from the Bush administration came in January 2005, when the president declared that it is now the policy of the United States to eradicate tyranny in the world, and that the survival of American liberty is dependent on the liberty of every other nation. This was at once so utopian and so aggressive that it shocked me. For others the beginning of distance might have been Katrina and the incompetence it revealed, or the depth of the mishandling and misjudgments of Iraq.

Read the whole thing here.

I want my $39 million back

It's not so much that it's Murtha playing the game. It's the game itself.

The MI Abrams tank

I think this is the first time I've ever posted a video of war footage. It's a pretty good editing job and the music a cover of Snap's "I've got the power"

Fred Thompson, helping Ron Paul get elected

Here is an interesting take on what could happen if Fred Thompson decides to run for office (from Liberty Update):

As of right now there are three front runners; Guliani, McCain, and Romney. Each spouting off a very similar big government neo-con message that differs only slightly. If each of these candidates stays out front until the election they will split the big-government neo-con electorate. If this happens, Ron Paul will need only 25%of the Republican primary vote (a few votes will most likely be split among the other 6 neo-cons as well). He'll have the full support of the small government conservatives since there will be no competition for that slot. In a state like Iowa where in 2000 there were 86,000 Republican primary voters he would only need 21,500 votes to win.

A very shrewd and interesting analysis, I'm (wishfully) hoping that he wins the nomination handily and the general election in a landslide. But I'll take the win in whatever form it comes in.

The whole post is here.

Venezuela and the Strongman

Saying "south american dictator" is like saying "smelly frenchman" or "brazilian supermodel" it's just part of the language. Our hemisphere to the south has a tradition of being taken over by strongmen.

It's no surprise that Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez would try to takeover the oil assets of his country (it's the country's most valuable export). It's also no surprise that Chavez would try to eliminate dissenting voices as well. What has been surprising to me has been the reaction to his shutting down the TV station that broadcasts opposition programming critical of Chavez. Students, professionals, other citizens are demonstrating in the streets. Are we going to be witness to the overthrow of a dictator? I hope so. I also hope it's as bloodless as possible.

There are a bunch of links at Gateway Pundit. Also Fox News has continuing coverage as well.

Fox News reporter Adam Housley

6:13 p.m.: We have now moved yet again, our fifth location today. We are now live, the only network in the world, on the street between protesters and the police. Thousands are amassed on the streets to me; to my left, they're chanting and singing, faced off with police; to my right, the police are shoulder-to-shoulder, standing under a major overpass. An armored car is wedged within the line.
6:22 p.m.: Shots ... SHOTS FIRED! I grab a bag and slam it against a cement wall. It's as if I am standing on the banks of a roaring river. I'm close to danger, but safely on the bank. Rocks and bottles fly. The crowd scatters as the police lunge forward. I'm staying close to the ground and behind their shields. They open rapid fire with shotguns armed with rubber bullets. Some turn their heads as the blasts continue. Pop, pop, pop, pop ... we are against the wall. I sneak out, just a bit, to get our remaining piece of gear. My mask is covering my nose and mouth, in case of tear gas. I have goggles over my eyes. Some students have their own military-style gas masks. The police lunge further; the students have stopped about 100 yards away ... more rocks, more bottles. I grab my microphone with the FOX News logo and
hold it up yelling, "PRENSA, PRENSA!" (Press, Press!) I duck in behind the
police to get my photographer shooting video of the clash. Together, we dash
back to safety.
6:25 p.m.: The shooting stops and so does the rock throwing. The crowd chants again and the police retreat. Once again, there is a 20-yard space between the two. We are at an impasse. Periodically, over the next 30 minutes, students approach the officers with their hands in the air. Both sides talk, at least for a short bit and the standoff continues.
6:50 p.m.:
The students are still singing, but now they're sitting by the thousands. They
will not move, and neither will the police. I also get a call; apparently the
same types of clashes are taking place near the American embassy, and I am told
that a local cable station will be shut down by the government tonight.
Globovision is a local cable channel, like RCTV, and it's critical of the
Chavez reforms. Rumor has it that the owners and main anchor will be arrested.

Ron Paul on Bill Maher's Show

Who get's the biggest cheers when you're sitting at a table with PJ O'Rourke, Ben Affleck and Bill Maher? Why Ron Paul of course.

The scam that is the Income Tax (part 6,864)

The inimitable Paul Harvey (listen here and fast forward to 4:10)



Transcript
"For what it's worth, the 9th circuit panel of San Francisco has been reversed. The Internal Revenue service had ruled that Valerie and Robert McKee (or McKey?) had owed the government $31,000 in unpaid taxes until Valerie and Robert demonstrated in court that the tax law was so complex that nobody could understand it. And the court had to agree. The law was so complex that nobody could understand it and the court reversed itself and the IRS gets the bill. The government sought and got a stipulation that this verdict would not be made public. Well, it just was. Paul Harvey, Good day!"

What doesn't kill you...

Jeeez, Memorial day weekend isn't even over, and Lindsay Lohan is in the papers AGAIN. Let's see, she was arrested on Saturday for being intoxicated and for leaving her car after crashing it, the same car that the police found "useable amounts" of cocaine in. Well, it's monday and it turns out there are pictures of her passed out in a friends car this morning as well (maybe to celebrate getting out of jail?)

This is going to end up badly for her. She's not even 21 yet and it seems like she's been around forever. Maybe it won't, but I'm pretty sure that if your diet for the past 5 years has consisted of cocaine, vodka, and semen, it's pretty safe to say that a reexamination of lifestyle choices is in order. (I know I lifted that line somewhere, probably here, he cracks me up)

What's more gay?

What’s more gay?

a. Richard Marx
b. Not being able to find a specific Richard Marx video on the internets
c. Finding a specific Richard Marx song on youtube but having it as background for a Buffy and Angel video montage



The correct answer is d: posting a blog that has Richard Marx in it over a Buffy and Angel montage

Libertarianism, Ron Paul and why Kucinich sucks

Where do you stand politically?

With the Soul of the GOP at stake it's Rudy vs. Ron (Part 1)

All of the political junkies out there who watched the second GOP debate a couple of weeks ago saw an exchange between Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul that could be considered the first round of battle in what ultimately could be considered the fight for the soul of the Republican Party.

Rudy Giuliani is America’s Mayor. He revived New York City, cleaned up Times Square, reduced crime, and boosted tourism to record highs. It was on his watch that New York City was attacked. By nearly all accounts, he handled that day and its aftermath better than one would have expected. His performance earning him accolades such as a Knighthood from the Queen of England, and Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2002. He is a man of accomplishment who has shown leadership in the most trying circumstances.

Dr. Ron Paul is an OB/GYN who has delivered more than 4000 babies. He is an 11 term Congressman from Texas whose initial Congressional campaign run, by his own admission, was done on impulse. His reputation as a principled legislator who unfailingly measures his actions in Congress against what is explicitly expressed in the Constitution has earned him the moniker of “Dr. No”. He and his wife are proud parents of five children, and 17 grandchildren.

The contrasts between these two are numerous. Rudy is the man from the big city. Ron is the doctor from flyover country. Rudy’s personal life has been fodder for the gossip pages for years, having to endure a very ugly and public divorce. Ron, from what I’ve been able to glean from the tabloids, has five children and 17 grandchildren, and a wife named Carol. This is to say, you probably wouldn’t find him in magazines like US Weekly, or People, ever.

It is in the political arena that you would find the most differences, and they are stark. Rudy Giuliani has a campaign machine that is well financed, he is consistently named one of the leading contenders to win the nomination, and he currently polls in the top three as far as popularity among voters.

Dr. Paul has a fraction of the campaign funds that Rudy has. He is considered a second tier candidate, not even warranting inclusion in certain polls because of lack of name recognition. He is truly a grassroots candidate, his supporters, while not legion, are enthusiastic, vocal, energized, and active. They are technologically savvy and, through the internet, are able to communicate with each other as well as spread Dr. Paul’s ideas.

Like with Howard Dean in 2004, the internet is proving to be the great equalizer between Rudy and Dr. Paul in getting the nomination.

Conan and "The Interrupter"

Ron Paul on Neil Cavuto

Girl looking for serious LTR

Cute, lonely girl, looking for serious LTR. Pretty funny.

Why Ron Paul?

If anyone out there saw the GOP debate last week, you would have seen this:



The exchange between Rudy Giuliani and Dr. Ron Paul certainly brought to life an event which up, until that moment, would more accurately be described as a Debate In Name Only (DINO). Out of the 10 candidates that night, 9 of them seem pretty interchangeable. Sure, Mitt Romney might have a better tan and more hair than Rudy. Also, John McCain is the only candidate I’ve seen who actually tried to paraphrase/sing the Beach Boys (badly and awkwardly at that). But if you look really closely, they aren’t much different from each other. I get the feeling that if the nomination came down to those three, I couldn’t bring myself to, once again, vote for the candidate who sucks the least.

If you take a look at my recent posts, it’s obvious I’m a Ron Paul supporter. Why him? Hope. History is littered with the wreckage of failed empires, the map of which our country is following. Entangling alliances, oppressive government policies on it own citizens, failure to protect and defend its borders, continued currency devaluation. It’s all there. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ron Paul gives me hope that it is not too late. That the ills our country faces in the near and long term can be cured. That the constant and increasing intrusion of our government into our lives can be stopped and the correlating freedoms that have been stamped out can be restored.

He gives me hope because he knows that the map to restoring our greatness exists, it is tried and true and it will work. When I say greatness, I don’t mean having the biggest and best military, we have that. There is greatness in the people that make up this country; for the most part we are generous, hardworking, optimistic, law-abiding citizens. When I talk about restoring greatness to this country, I am talking about setting its people free. Free to pursue our dreams, free to think what we want, free criticize our government, free to defend ourselves, free to choose how we live and free to fail and accept the consequences of that failure.

That is what America is about, choosing the path that makes the most sense to us. The audacious idea that each and every one of us has the ability to choose the life they want to lead because we know what’s best. That is what attracts people to us. That is why we won the great war against communism. That is what made my parents move half a world away with only each other to build their life around. That is what will save us from an economic and political meltdown.

I didn’t mean to turn this into a flag waving exercise but it turned out that way. I did intend to say that Ron Paul is the man whose vision of what our country once was and once again can be, and how to get there is most aligned with mine.

Randolphus