MOLITICON

Tribute to Shelby - Simply Awesome

2012-01-22T12:41:00.000-06:00

2011 Marching Band Competition - WHS performs at Waukee, IA.
Daughter Shelby was Captain of the color guard. Hard work and dedication pays off for my star (bottom right end at timestamp 1:47).

Tribute To Melissa

2011-11-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

Kendall for Council

2011-10-29T13:39:00.000-05:00

Photo Ben Stanton - KCII Radio

I have known Mark Kendall as a citizen, accountant and friend since he first arrived in Washington. Never wavering, Mark has supported a vision of Washington as a community with the potential to be a destination for visitors and for those seeking a safe, viable and culturally complete home for their families.

Mark supports a balanced budget that allows for planning and growth. He has the courage of his convictions and the requisite knowledge to rationally and responsibly discuss the issues that confront our community.

While many in Washington were bemoaning its perceived decline and preparing for its extinction, Mark Kendall was fostering a vision of community development linked to volunteerism and a solid structure for long-term commitments from new and traditional benefactors.

Mark is an indefatigable friend of all who will set aside their fear and insecurity to embrace a new paradigm for Washington, a Washington worthy of investment and cooperative enthusiasm. Mark has involved himself and will continue to dedicate himself in every forum in which our future as a community is discussed. He is energetic yet reasonable, responsible and cautious.

Citizens can once again feel secure and hopeful that Washington is on the right track. Your vote is required now. Your promise of continuing support is required now. Support candidate Kendall and then Councilman Kendall. Gift him the loyal corps that ensures that his personal commitment to Washington is also the resurgence of a new generation that tirelessly serves the advancement of our opportunities and the solidity of our infrastructure.

Let Them Eat Cake

2011-09-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

Crocs We Hardly Knew Ye

2011-05-06T10:15:00.060-05:00

A number of well-known brands disappeared in the last year in large part due to economic forces. Many of them were in the retail industry, led by Circuit City. ATA and Aloha airlines are gone. Gateway Computers has effectively disappeared after being bought by Acer. It still has a website, but the brand is no longer marketed.

As the recession deepens and stretches out quarter after quarter, more companies will close or will shut divisions. More brands will disappear because their parent firms fold or can no longer afford to support them. Other brands will be obliterated by mergers.

Here is a compiled a list of the top brands that are in danger of disappearing. Some you may be able to capitalize by purchasing products which may soon be extremely rare and valuable.

Crocs (CROX)
Borders (BGP)
Avis/Budget (CAR)
Saturn (General Motors GM)
Esquire Magazine (The Hearst Corporation)
Gap (GAP)
Architectural Digest Magazine (Condé Nast Publications - subsidiary of privately-held Advance Publications)
Eddie Bauer (EBHI)
Palm (PALM)
AIG (AIG)
United Airlines (UAUA)
American Airlines ( US. AMR - AMR)
US Air (LCC)
Yahoo! (YHOO)
Motorola (MOT)
Old Navy (GPS)
Countrywide Financial Corporation (CFC)
E*Trade (ETFC)
KMart (KMRT is no longer valid. It has changed to SHLD)
Dodge (Owned by privately-held Chrysler company)
Gateway (GTW)
Vonage (VG)
Circuit City (CCTYQ)

Hummer(General Motors GM)
Six Flags New Orleans (SIXF)
Gleem (Procter & Gamble Co PG)
Pioneer's Kuro TV (PIO)
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ore-Ida Fun Shape Tater Tots (HJ Heinz Co HNZ)
Pontiac (General Motors GM)
Handi-Snacks pudding (Kraft Foods Inc KFT)
Saab (General Motors GM)
Kool-Aid gels (Kraft Foods Inc KFT)
The Checkout Channel (Turner Broadcasting System TWX)
Ambi Pur (Sara Lee – SLE)

Thank you, GreyorGray!

Iowa Legislature Invites Drunk Driving

2011-03-28T08:08:00.005-05:00

Dear Governor Branstad,

I just heard that the Senate has passed the Class "E" liquor bill to allow gas stations to sell hard liquor as a part of their gas station. PLEASE DON'T SIGN THIS BILL! Iowa is in the top ten for binge drinking in the nation. This is not something to be proud of. If we allow more access to hard liquor, we will see an even bigger increase in binge drinking rates and all the state's costs that go into dealing with these issues in our communities. Right now I believe there are 71 gas stations that have built on the separate or divided a room with a separate door making it legal for them to sell hard liquor in their convenience store. If you sign it, there are 1,890 gas stations/convenience stores that currently have only a Class B (beer type) liquor license—most of them will likely sell hard liquor too if they are easily allowed! The current law loophole that allows separate or divided rooms are NOT a good idea, either. Any place you put alcohol that effects your body and combine it with a place to gas up your car is NOT good. By signing this bill, we will be taking a big step back in Iowa to prevent teens (and adults) from abusing alcohol. I recently talked with Lt. Governor Reynolds about alcohol abuse in Iowa, and I believe she agrees that something more needs to be done to prevent it. This will increase access to hard liquor tremendously all at once in Iowa if passed, as well as be a dangerous combination of buying hard liquor at the same place as purchasing a tank full of gas for the car! Please choose NOT to sign this bill. It will save Iowans' lives.

Thank you, SAFE Coalition!

Walker Budget Endangers Wisconsin Veteran's Trust Fund

2011-03-26T08:05:00.004-05:00

The Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs says the 2011-13 budget proposed by the governor would endanger the Veterans Trust Fund.

In a letter to Governor Scott Walker released Monday, Secretary Kenneth Black said Walker's budget plan would "not provide additional support to ensure the solvency of the Veterans Trust Fund."

The statement also says the Walker budget does not fix the structural deficit in the Fund. Black says the proposal would divert money dedicated to Veterans Homes to fill the deficit and subsidize veteran benefit programs.

Parents Can Prevent Underage Drinking

2011-03-22T10:04:00.025-05:00

Photo by Action Press / Rex Features

Parents are the #1 influence on adolescents and there proven strategies parents can use to prevent their teenagers from drinking.

1. Talk to your children early and often about alcohol and discuss your family's rules about underage drinking. Set clear and specific expectations that they not drink alcohol and explain the risks to them. The “forbidden fruit” theory is a myth. There is a growing body of research showing that youth are less likely to drink when alcohol is less available and when there are clearly communicated rules stating they should not drink alcohol.

2. Be involved. Research indicates that children are less likely to drink when their parents are involved in their lives and when they and their parents report feeling close to each other.

3. Monitor your children. Know where they are going and with whom. Network with other parents, especially the parents of your child's friends. Don’t fall prey to the line “but Mom, everyone is doing it!” Despite this strongly held belief, most teens aren’t drinking.

4. Set consequences and follow through on them.

5. Set a good example for how to use alcohol moderately or by not drinking at all.

Thanks, Sarah!

Open Letter to Iowa Speaker Kraig Paulsen

2011-02-13T21:21:00.004-06:00

While you've been worrying about whether the obscenely rich and environmentally irresponsible are gorged enough to regurgitate into your campaign funds; education, healthcare and child safety have been compromised to the extent that no socially conscious employer would think of settling here. Where are the potential employees going to be nurtured? I don't think most technology companies will consider the penitentiary to be a reliable conduit for human resources.

The art of governing is about providing balanced opportunities for citizens while insuring their security and their rights. Your party's abysmal record of embracing any thoughtful approach to governing for the people is a masterpiece ablaze in neon.

I ask of you the same thing I asked of Representative Klein; stop spending your time trying to find ways to abrogate Iowans' rights. Elevate the level of discourse when deciding our future. I do realize that slashing education and healthcare funding will create more opportunities for you to sell your political agenda to the unwitting. History, however, will record your assault on reason accurately. Alas, those very books will make a nice bonfire to keep your party's fatted calves toasty warm and dually serve to ensure that the populace remains unaware of your real motives.

Social Justice - It's Not Just for Sunday

2011-01-29T09:39:00.000-06:00

Thank you, Phil Carver!

Janis Joplin Tribute - Cry Baby

2010-01-21T06:49:00.001-06:00

Thank you, Dan!

Open Letter to Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA)

2009-09-16T09:49:00.004-05:00

I fully support the presence of a public option in the health care bill. Our system is one of the most expensive in the world because of the obscene profits allowed the insurance companies for depriving their clients of appropriate coverage. Senators and Representatives are scrambling to pay back these entities for their previous campaign contributions. Citizens deserve more.

We want a public option. Powerful forces are arrayed against us but we must stand firm, Mr. Boswell. I know you are under a huge amount of pressure from some very wealthy interest groups but Iowans are not wealthy, as you know, and we are not usually a loud and inappropriate citizenry, but we do know what is right for Iowa.

We have been on the short end of Medicare funds distribution for some time. Iowa’s hospitals and doctors are reimbursed at some of the lowest rates in the nation. Where are our representatives? If you won't protect us from monopolies and price gouging, who will, Sir?

When I have had a chance to vote for you, I have supported you because your statements sound considered and your responses are reasonable. Please, we beg you; this may well be our best chance to have the crushing burden of health coverage lifted from small business and the American people. This is no time for partisanship as you say.

As a frequent board, organization and committee member, I know that there are many ways to look at costs when planning. I ask only this: (1) Consider the cost of leaving things the way they are. (2) When evaluating costs, don't discount the potential for increased revenue from businesses that may thrive freed from the unfair burden of covering their employees. (3) Iowa citizens will be paying for coverage no matter who offers it, government or business. Paying many millions of dollars to health care executives to find ways to deny coverage to the elderly, women and children yields benefits for very few. (4) Citizens have no recourse in their struggle against the banking and insurance monoliths.

Sir, please end this injustice. No one elected you to be a Social Darwinist. No one 'deserves' to die and no one is 'fated' to die. Health care should not be slathered on the affluent and withheld from the destitute - not now, not ever.

In conclusion, once again, please end this travesty now. Save money by trimming pork from all of the rest of your fellows' self-serving agendas. Increase taxes if you must and then adjust the system to make it fair to the poor and disadvantaged. Please do not stop until we have a fair and just health care offering for YOUR people, for Iowans.

Hate and The Conservative Caucus

2009-09-13T23:21:00.003-05:00

An Open Letter to The Conservative Caucus (In response to their 'US Taxpayers' Campaign Against a Multilingual America')

What disgusting, vile and hateful little nest of morally bankrupt buzzards is this?

Our republic was built on finer stuff than this and was forged from the talents of people fleeing the very kind of crap you are peddling. Your views are hermetic, bigoted and totally antithetical to anything for which this country has ever stood.

We live in a world that cries out for even-handed and unprejudiced leadership. You are liars and vigilantes and do not deserve the protections of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights which you have them nonetheless.

Intelligent people everywhere hold you and your narrow-minded allies in absolute contempt. It is my fervent wish that justice prevail and your hate speech will one day be silenced forever.

I have made a donation to NCLR (National Council of La Raza) in direct response to your request that I sign your petition. I hope this fascist effort cost you dearly and yields the response it deserves - overwhelming outrage and national action to combat this putrid screed and those who fostered it.

You disgust me.

Grassley Doesn't Even Understand His Own Insurance

2009-07-04T11:31:00.002-05:00

Charles Grassley has successfully complained about every aspect of government spending while uniformly managing to vote not to support the citizens of his state. Who is he representing? Oh Lord, please forgive me, of course! Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, Principal, United Health, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, ExpressScripts, Medco, Mutual of Omaha, Caremark. I wonder why?

Thank you, Blog For Iowa

Alley Cat Allies

2009-06-03T11:55:00.005-05:00

It’s easy to talk about feral cats and the nation’s current animal control and shelter system. More than anything, outdoor cats need a voice:

* Call your local shelters and pounds. Ask them if they have programs for feral cats. Tell them you support humane standards of care for outdoor cats.
* Contact your local elected officials. Tell them you want the animal control system to be held accountable and to change.
* Tell your friends, family, pet sitter, groomer, veterinarian, and others that you don’t think it’s OK to kill healthy animals, just because they’re not socialized to people. Tell them how they can join and become part of the collective action.
* Spread the word about National Feral Cat Day on October 16.

Start conversations about outdoor cats. The cats will thank you. Donate here.

Intolerance Of The Religious Right

2009-05-04T21:13:00.003-05:00

Is there nothing that involves hate that doesn't smell like Steve King?

Thank you, oneiowa.org! Contribute to this cause.

The Dumbing Continues

2009-05-02T11:56:00.003-05:00

Thank you, The Eight Things

Susan Boyle - 1999

2009-04-18T16:36:00.003-05:00

Rhythm

2009-03-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

My Favorite Geek T-Shirt

2009-03-08T16:22:00.001-05:00

Credit: Oddee

Wasting Away In Boehnerville

2009-03-06T21:52:00.005-06:00

The monthly data for industrial production show a near three-year collapse under President Hoover, ending when FDR came to office in March 1933. Production rocketed by 44 percent in the first three months of the New Deal and, by December 1936, had completely recovered to surpass its 1929 peak.

Orlan Love: The Cedar River

2009-03-04T13:43:00.006-06:00

Orlan Love is one of the Cedar Rapids Gazette's best writers. His prose is similar to that of Hemingway but in a class of its own. The poetry is in the simplicity that allows the reader his own range of creative synthesis.

Rokia Traore

2009-02-04T10:03:00.002-06:00

It is true that strength is in unity
Thank-you my love
For being at my side no matter what
Only a distant memory remains
Of my solitude and my fears.
Now I am strong through your support
Your presence makes me radiant

Lyrics Credit: Amariyam

The Diminution Of Heroes

2009-01-19T06:47:00.002-06:00

By now, you’ve heard of the dramatic emergency landing of an Airbus A320 on the Hudson Rivers by US Airways pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III, and you’ve also probably heard this pilot called a hero more than a few times, either. So I’m wondering: what makes this guy a hero?

What caught my attention (on Countdown) was the implication that the pilot’s successful ditching (that’s what you call a forced water landing) was heroism. That’s not heroism. That’s called skill. Phenomenal skill, but skill and little more. Why is it heroism — the fact that he didn’t panic, piss his trousers, and crash the plain? Heroism is not the absence of cowardice. Heroism isn’t even keeping a cool head in a dire situation. It’s not just getting the job done.

It seems to me that heroism requires both getting the job done despite considerable personal risk and having some choice in the matter.

Okay, maybe I’m being a hard ass about this, and it’s not like I’ve done anything to make me an expert. But I do think it’s worthwhile to think about these concepts critically. People throw that “hero” term around far too lightly.

Captain Sullenberger used his considerable skills to do what had to be done. He did it exceptionally well and deserves praise for it. He ditched the plane and no one died.

The passengers evacuated the cabin in ninety seconds. And then, with the plane sinking, the captain and the copilot went down through the cabin, checking to make sure all of the passengers had, in fact, left the plane.

And then they did it a second time. In a sinking plane, they double-checked to make sure there were no injured passengers left behind.

That’s heroism.

Credit: Balls and Walnuts

Yums - But Where To Begin?

2009-01-18T11:30:00.001-06:00

Men grill part of a sausage looped around a rack in Bucharest during a Guinness World Record event for the world's longest sausage December 27, 2008. The sausage measured 392 meters (1286 feet) and set a new world record.

Credit: REUTERS/Mihai Barbu

Mother Nature Opts For Her Own

2009-01-18T08:44:00.002-06:00

After 24 hours of starvation, neurons from females (left) mobilize free fatty acids and form lipid droplets (bright green), keeping them alive. In contrast, neurons from males (right panel) begin eating themselves from the inside to break down proteins, presumably to use as fuel.

Credit: LiveScience.com

Sooo Watcha Doin'?

2009-01-06T19:43:00.002-06:00

A revolution in home exploration and telepresence, ROVIO is a Wi-Fi enabled robotic webcam that easily moves in any direction and can be controlled remotely. View and interact with ROVIOs environment through its streaming video and audio from its built in camera. Use ROVIO to check on your family while away from home, watch over your house while away on vacation, or look over your pets during your lunch time. In the office, enjoy movement enabled web conferences with colleagues, using ROVIO anywhere.

Why I Love Iowa

2009-01-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

Hip Buzz

2008-12-27T18:41:00.003-06:00

Grant Barrett is a lexicographer specializing in slang and new words. He is a co-host of the public radio program “A Way With Words” and head of the New Words Committee of the American Dialect Society. Here are some of the words he tracked this year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2008-12-25T10:35:00.001-06:00

Credit: Chestnut501

More Bacon!

2008-12-24T19:59:00.002-06:00

What is my fascination with bacon? I think it can only be that it is proof that somewhere someone is grossly more inured to death by food than am I. What are the chances of that? Yet they exist!!

Credit: Deusdiabolus

Who Gets the Controls?

2008-12-22T18:27:00.009-06:00

A brain chip to stimulate orgasms? The sex chip, as it's been dubbed, would stimulate a part of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex. Researchers say a workable implant for stimulating orgasms is said to be a decade away because for now the surgery is too crude and intrusive.

"When the technology is improved, we can use deep brain stimulation in many new areas," said researcher Tipu Aziz of Oxford. "It will be more subtle, with more control over the power so you may be able to turn the chip on and off when needed."

When needed? Sounds subjective.

Credit: Live Science

The Last Crumb

2008-12-21T18:14:00.004-06:00

MANSFIELD, Texas—A school bus driver in Texas has been accused of brandishing a knife and threatening to cut three sixth-graders who left Oreo crumbs on a seat.

Officials say police confiscated a pocket knife from 66-year-old William Allen on Friday in Mansfield. He was taken into custody on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Two students told their parents Allen removed them from the bus Wednesday at Mary Orr Intermediate School. They say he threatened to cut their wrists if they didn't admit to spilling crumbs.

Credit: Deadbrain

Urban Graffiti

2008-12-20T16:46:00.004-06:00

Stop Dreaming Harley Ad

2008-12-20T15:24:00.003-06:00

Credit: thecoolhunter.com

Dead Ringer?

2008-12-18T09:23:00.002-06:00

Dave. Dave. Pick up!!

Credit: MSNBC

Death in Wisconsin

2008-12-13T18:51:00.001-06:00

Woven Bacon Cheese Wrap

Credit: Holy Taco

OH! Hi Kathy!

2008-12-13T17:22:00.003-06:00

A medical examiner's office in Michigan has canceled public school tours after a high school group watched the autopsy of a 14-year-old girl from their district. The Detroit News reports Monday that Oakland County officials decided to stop the tours in Pontiac after they were contacted by the girl's parents, who were very upset about the March tour. Mike Zehnder, the county's director of public services, says it was "a poor decision" to let the tour go on.

Credit: Quiddity

Tow My Ride

2008-12-07T18:43:00.001-06:00

Credit:Angry Animator

Public Service Announcement

2008-12-06T20:10:00.004-06:00

Caveat Emptor. This is without a doubt the worst pizza ever created. Think of it as Limburger bread pudding. It has undertones of old tennis shoes and a vivid presentation of the worst blend of spices ever to grace bread. I actually ate TWO yes TWO pieces in a fit of self-loathing and disbelief. Do not try this at home.

Chip Truck Jousting

2008-12-06T19:19:00.001-06:00

S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Sonny Collins said the delivery truck driver who was northbound was not able to stop in time to stop for a car in his lane that was about to make a turn.
In order to avoid the car, the driver swerved to the southbound lane and hit the other Frito Lay truck nearly head on.

Credit: Uniquedaily.com

If It Looks Like a Quack, Duck!

2008-11-29T23:06:00.002-06:00

clipped from scienceblogs.com

Quack Miranda Warning

"These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."

This "Quack Miranda Warning" is on every just about every woo-meister's website. I see dozens of patients every day, and I never Mirandize them, so whats the deal?

There are three ways to look at this: the truthful way, the sinister way, and the bat-shit insane way.

Truth: Anyone who wants to sell you something that's a load of crap must use this statement to cover themselves legally.

Bat-shit insane: The FDA and Big Pharma are in cahoots with the AMA to keep you from learning all the simple ways to treat diseases. They want your money, and they'll do anything they can to get it from you, including suppressing the knowledge that anyone can learn to heal cancer.

Norman Corwin - Poet for All Ages

2008-11-27T10:47:00.006-06:00

ON A NOTE OF TRIUMPH (Prayer)

Lord God of trajectory and blast
Whose terrible sword has laid open the serpent
So it withers in the sun for the just to see,
Sheathe now the swift avenging blade with the names of nations writ on it,
And assist in the preparation of the ploughshare.

Lord God of fresh bread and tranquil mornings,
Who walks in the circuit of heaven among the worthy,
Deliver notice to the fallen young men
That tokens of orange juice and a whole egg appear now before the hungry children;
That night again falls cooling on the earth as quietly as when it leaves your hand;
That Freedom has withstood the tyrant like a Malta in a hostile sea,
And that the soul of man is surely a Sevastopol which goes down hard and leaps from ruin quickly.

Lord God of the topcoat and the living wage
Who has furred the fox against the time of winter
And stored provender of bees in summer's brightest places,
Do bring sweet influences to bear upon the assembly line:
Accept the smoke of the mill town among the accredited clouds of the sky:
Fend from the wind with a house and hedge, him whom you made in your image,
And permit him to pick of the tree and the flock
That he may eat today without fear of tomorrow
And clothe himself with dignity in December.

Lord God of test-tube and blueprint
Who jointed molecules of dust and shook them till their name was Adam,
Who taught worms and stars how they could live together,
Appear now among the parliaments of conquerors and give instruction to their schemes:
Measure out new liberties so none shall suffer for his father's color or the credo of his choice:
Post proofs that brotherhood is not so wild a dream as those who profit by postponing it pretend:
Sit at the treaty table and convoy the hopes of the little peoples through expected straits,
And press into the final seal a sign that peace will come for longer than posterities can see ahead,
That man unto his fellow man shall be a friend forever.

This was the only prayer in my only sermon delivered at the height of the Vietnam War. It works as well now, I think, when we are once again in tatters as a nation.

If This Is On the Menu Please Don't Tell Me

2008-11-26T13:30:00.002-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Suri Cruise as Sex Object

2008-11-24T07:17:00.003-06:00

Forbes magazine has pronounced Suri Cruise "hot". How many Republicans does it take to fill a sex offenders unit?

Credit: Iowa Liberal

I've Waited A long Time to See This

2008-11-23T21:31:00.002-06:00

Your wish is my command.

Credit: The Daily Weird

Survival of the Fittest

2008-11-23T21:03:00.004-06:00

And other interesting concepts.

Credit: Village of Joy

Those Recently Gone From Our View

2008-11-23T20:29:00.003-06:00

A review of species now extinct that were still on the planet with our grandparents.

Credit: Amazing Facts

Top Ten Irritating Expressions

2008-11-23T12:28:00.010-06:00

1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It's a nightmare
8 - Shouldn't of
9 - 24/7
10 - It's not rocket science

A Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare

Amazing 3D Street Art

2008-11-16T10:51:00.003-06:00

Kurt Wenner

Kurt Wenner's ability to transform Renaissance classicism into 3D street art is unparalleled and has made him the top anamorphic street painting artist of our time. Kurt aims to reinvent classicism for a new age, bringing his talent for realism to the streets, literally, having invented a pictorial geometry that corrects the specific distortion caused by viewing his street paintings at an oblique angle. A former NASA illustrator, Kurt has had his work featured in a lengthy list of articles, television features, ads, and documentaries.

Credit: Amazing Facts

More Anti-Intellectual Hypocrisy

2008-11-16T09:36:00.005-06:00

A great four-part series on the dangers posed by the Trojan horse of "intelligent design".

Credit: Live Science

Boeing's Take Your Kids To Work Day

2008-11-12T14:08:00.003-06:00

Credit: Markee Dragon

Why Bad Hair Days Are So Common

2008-11-12T13:33:00.002-06:00

"Humans, birds and reptiles have a common ancestor that goes back some 300 million years, said researcher Leopold Eckhart of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria....the common ancestor of reptiles and mammals likely had genes for making keratin proteins, the building blocks of hair, though these proteins were used for claws not hair."

Credit: Live Science

Uh - How About Transportation?

2008-11-10T20:51:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Rachael Maddow for this link as well - talk about linked in.

Dollar Bill Origami by Won Park

2008-11-09T12:02:00.004-06:00

This is amazing contemporary origami. Won Park is from Hawaii and has practiced origami since his youth. His work includes some fantasy spacecraft, which I love, and a great scorpion.

McCain Lies to Vets

2008-11-09T10:36:00.006-06:00

His most egregious lies concern his support for veterans. McCain, in fact, has consistently voted against benefits for veterans during his political career while continuing to put them at risk in ill-conceived wars. John McCain is a self-serving liar whose duplicity poses a continuing threat to all veterans.

The Onion: Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job

2008-11-08T13:11:00.003-06:00

Some things never change.

Yes We Are!

2008-11-07T07:17:00.001-06:00

I've been quoting this for the last eight years but failed to watch it again. It is fresher today than ever before.

Thank You Iowa!

2008-11-05T12:00:00.003-06:00

Thank you, Iowa Underground!

2008-11-04T07:07:00.000-06:00

The Bud Commercial Not Seen in Iowa

2008-11-02T13:21:00.000-06:00

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Holy Steed of Greed

2008-10-31T06:51:00.004-05:00

Dear Lord, please make my wallet swell in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Target = Tu et Moi ? No Way!

2008-10-26T18:03:00.005-05:00

MCCAIN: Well, in our nation's capital and New York City. I've seen it. I've lived there. I know the town. I know-- I know what a lot of these elitists are. The ones that she Palin) never went to a cocktail party with in Georgetown. I'll be very frank with you. Who think that they can dictate what they believe to America rather than let Americans decide for themselves.

ZUZU at Shakesville: Hey, John -- since Al-Qaeda's endorsing you and all, do you think you could have a word with them and let them know that DC and New York aren't actually the "real America" after all, and if they have any plans to attack America again, that "real America" is located in places like Sedona and Wasilla?

Much obliged.

Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye

2008-10-25T07:13:00.002-05:00

Did you enjoy your October surprise, Senator?

When Sarah is Elected in 2016

2008-10-24T13:01:00.001-05:00

Thank you, Oddee!

Micro-Brew Anti-Cancer Gene? YES!

2008-10-18T07:17:00.003-05:00

Innovation be swift!

Thank you, ZDNet!

Alaska on Palin - Chilling

2008-10-14T07:00:00.003-05:00

Great reporting from the inside by Nick Jans in Salon

Thank you, Tim!

Alaskans reveal true Palin - Not safe for all eyes - Some gory photos of slain animals.

Financial Collapse Plain Speaking

2008-10-12T10:10:00.006-05:00

Thomas L. Friedman

Thank you, DooberDan!

Priceless Tech TV

2008-10-11T11:35:00.002-05:00

I love the response. Thank you, Andy!

New Rules People!

2008-10-04T16:03:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Dwindling in Unbelief!

And Forget the Upholstery!

2008-10-01T19:32:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Cynical-C!

Shhhh - We're on the Air

2008-10-01T15:26:00.004-05:00

I've read em all!
Christian Science Monitor on Sarah's reading list...

I Gotya Democracy Right Here, Punk

2008-09-24T17:48:00.007-05:00

Signs of Fascism:

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism
2. Identification of enemies as a unifying cause
3. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism
4. A controlled mass media
5. Obsession with national security
6. Religion and ruling elite tied together
7. Power of corporations protected
8. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated
9. Obsession with crime and punishment
10. Rampant cronyism and corruption

Thanks, Bro!

What I've Been Thinking

2008-09-24T14:40:00.003-05:00

...Schools tend to mistake good behavior for good character. What they prize above all else is docility, suggestibility; the child who will do as he is told; or even better, the child who will do what is wanted without even having to be told. They value most in children what children least value in themselves. - John Holt in How Children Fail - Thank you, BoingBoing!

Served at a Google Cafeteria

2008-09-14T14:20:00.002-05:00

Uh huh. Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburgers. They're real. People ate them.

Reconfigurable 3-D Spider Animation

2008-09-09T07:11:00.004-05:00

This flash is seriously awesome. I encourage arachnophobes not to abandon it too quickly. Spider Animation

Thank you, BoingBoing!

Small Town Values from the Nook!

2008-09-06T10:05:00.001-05:00

Thank you, DooberDan!

60's TV Sign Off

2008-09-05T07:07:00.006-05:00

High Flight
by John Gillespie McGee

Unbelievable! I memorized this sign off when I was a child and still regurgitate it occasionally, albeit inaccurately, when the moment is right.

Thank you, BoingBoing!

I Can't Wait to Bag Me Some Pork!

2008-09-04T11:04:00.005-05:00

The Sarah Palin Digest - Everything you want to know. (I recommend small doses to avoid nausea.)

I've Brought This Back for the Last Time!

2008-09-03T12:35:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Abroath!

That's A VERY Big Gun Mr. Sheriff - Can I Have it?

2008-09-03T12:16:00.002-05:00

The sheriff of Richmond County in South Carolina has the brain of Miss Teen South Carolina. This is their new swat team vehicle. I'm not kidding.

What the heck do they drink down there?
Thank you, BoingBoing!

I Understand

2008-09-01T09:09:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Dark Roasted Blend.

Don't Even Think About It

2008-08-30T07:25:00.002-05:00

That's right! If I can get up here I can get in your face!

McMoney

2008-08-24T14:14:00.002-05:00

Thank you, 23/6!

McCain Thinks/Knows We're Stupid

2008-08-22T07:08:00.004-05:00

I found this dandy little chart to be extremely illustrative of a point I've been making for several decades. Republicans have consistently relied on voters to respond favorably to their ad hominum attacks on intelligent candidates (they are out of touch) and general fear-mongering (the rest of the world is out to get us and we must respond militarily). All of this while they denuded the very fabric of security that would keep people from being susceptible to this bullshit at the onset. In the Bush era, Republicans have been tantamount to rapists. Screwing the poor is sport to them - they have no shame.

- From current.... blog.

Hubble Telescope Images for Wallpaper

2008-08-09T11:43:00.004-05:00

Cool wallpaper available from Space.Com

Dark Matter

2008-08-08T06:39:00.004-05:00

In 1991, Gang Lu, a doctoral student at the University of Iowa, opened fire killing 5 people and paralyzing one other. This film is based on that event and has been awarded the Alfred P. Sloan prize for a feature film dealing with science or technology.

The Crickster!

2008-08-06T13:17:00.006-05:00

Francis Crick Discovers DNA Thanks to LSD: Crick spent the 50s and 60s throwing all night parties famous for featuring that era's favorite party favors: LSD and nudity. Crick never made it a secret that he experimented with the drug, and in 2006, the London paper The Mail on Sunday reported that Crick had told many colleagues that he was experimenting with LSD when he figured out the double helix structure.

Thank you, BoingBoing!

What's my accent?

2008-08-05T07:33:00.005-05:00

An interesting "flash" game. Can you guess the accent of the reader?
I scored 25 and I really expected to do much better!

Crab Treats Are Gone! Yiiiiiiiiiii!

2008-08-01T07:24:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Buxton! (and Shauna)

Is This Funny?

2008-07-28T20:05:00.005-05:00

“Harold! This is worse than the time you pooped everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE.”

Thanks to the New Yorker Cartoon Lounge

No - I Do Not Have An Xbox

2008-07-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

They Do Not Know - Yes It's Real

2008-07-16T12:11:00.001-05:00

Radiohead! I Am Blown Away ....

2008-07-16T11:15:00.003-05:00