You know, people suck. OK, not all people, just some of them. Especially those who have a need to be known by their title or degree (say, “Doctor” or “MD”). Sorry (okay, not really sorry), but I just am not impressed by somebody because of their job title. I also don’t really give a crap how people dress (I’m not impressed by a suit and tie – I’ve dealt with too many salesmen in my time). I won’t get into specifics, but, suffice it to say, that old adage is true: no good deed goes unpunished.

So, I think we ought to get a lottery pool going here. You know, we all chip in, pick a set of numbers, and if we win, we’re all winners. It shouldn’t be too hard to set up. Money for the tickets can be sent via paypal. The tickets purchased get scanned and posted prior to the drawing, and the winning numbers and payout get posted for all to see. There’s a certain amount of trust between the players and the designated ticket buyer, but I’m pretty sure it would hold up in court if somebody tried to stiff the other people. Plus, I’d like to think we can trust each other. And we’d have to decide what lottery to “invest” in. Here, we have the NYS Lottery, as well as MegaMillions. I know other places have the Powerball.

Oh well, just a thought (can you tell, I’ve got nothing else to say). Have a good Thursday.

Running a bit late today, so I don’t have much to say. Trying to figure out a way to either embed two flash video files together, or convert them to something else that will allow them both to run at the same time (that’s what yesterday’s Maron/Seder show is in). Have a good one.

So, those of you who can stream video at work (maybe I can, maybe I can’t; either way, it’s really tough for me to pretend to be working while watching video), today is a Maron day. I won’t even be able to set up ReplayAV to catch it, so I hope there’ll be a way to download it later on. We’ll see, I guess.

So, there’ve been lots of 500 errors lately. Sorry about that. It has to be a problem with the web host, but I haven’t really had a chance to bitch at them for it. So, hopefully I can get that straightened out sooner rather than later. This working for a living shit really cramps my style.

Anyhow, enjoy the show today, if you can. It woulda been nice if Marc had stopped by here to let us know to tune in, but I guess he doesn’t love us anymore. 😥

I really don’t feel like going to work today. Not that I’m ever really anxious to head out the door (especially on a Monday morning), but today, I’m just not into it. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way today. Oh well, whattya gonna do?

So, what’s up for today? On Press the Meat, it’s a “debate” on Iraq (WTF is there to debate about?) between St. John McCain and John Kerry. Plus a roundtable with the WaPost.com “blogger” Chris Cillizza, and NBC’s Chuckie Todd.

Over at Faze the Nation, Bush Buddy Bobby Scheiffer’s guest will be Teddy “I was against the war, I continue to be against the war, and I’m going to do everything I possibly can to bring American troops home at the earliest possible time” Kennedy. Go get ’em Ted.

On Fux News Sunday, Weaselface Wallace host SecDef Bob Gates, and Senator MBNA, Joe Biden. Plus there are the usual Fux News professional pathological liars.

George Snufalufagus trots out Bob Gates again, plus Senator Jack Reed. Then it’s a roundtable with Thomas “my head is flat” Friedman, Fareed “Token” Zakaria, Martha Raddatz, and George :jerk: Will.

Wolf Blitzer’s Late Emission has, um, well, pretty much nobody interesting, except for maybe Wes Clark, but I don’t know if he’s worth suffering through Crazy Jon Cornyn.

Later, on 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl interviews disgusting old prune puss, Mr. Andrea Mitchell (aka, Alan Greenspan). Andrea, what the fuck were you thinking? You know, his first wife’s name was Joan Mitchell. I think he’s got a Mitchell fetish. Then, Bob Simon does a story on Shark Tourism. 🙄

Half of September shot to hell already. Guess we’d better start thinking about getting a couple tons of wood pellets. The snow could start flying any day now.

Have a good Sunday and, as Archie Bunker once said, “be fruity and multiply.”

I was on the highway yesterday, and passed a broken open bag of garbage. It was really windy, so the garbage was strewn all over the place. Not a pretty sight (kind of brought a tear to my eye, like the native American guy in that commercial that you won’t remember unless you’re old), but one that’s pretty rare these days. It reminded me of when I was a kid. Back then, it was pretty common to see somebody toss garbage out their car window. McDonald’s bags, full ashtrays, just plain garbage. Whatever. I guess those commercials actually worked, ‘cuz that kind of shit it pretty much unheard of today.

So, shitty as things have gotten over the years, at least some things have gotten better. Haven’t they? Geez, I hope so. I hope it isn’t all doom and gloom and everything sucks and it’s all hopeless. Al Gore didn’t invent the Internet just so we’d buy more shit and have access to porn, did he? I mean, this is all available to us now, because this is exactly what we need at this time in history to prevent the coming apocalypse, isn’t it?

Geez, I sure hope so. In the meantime, I guess I better go cut the grass.

Didja watch Chimpy’s speech last night? Me neither. I can’t stand watching the lying bastard. I’ll catch the reviews later on, I guess.

So, we went to get glasses the other day, and I guess I’m officially an old fart, ‘cuz I got talked into bifocals, which I’d been resisting. I don’t actually have short-arm disease the way other people (who shall remain nameless, so they don’t hit me) do. You know, where they have to hold something out at arm’s length (plus a foot) to actually see it. I just have to take my goddamn glasses off to see what’s up close, which makes it a pain to surf the web and watch the teevee at the same time. And my insurance (my wife’s insurance, actually) is great, so they pay for progressive lenses and all that good stuff (the guy who talked me into them fairly creamed his jeans over how great the insurance is; I felt like telling him “jeezus, dude, I said OK already).

But, anyway, back to glasses. I got the superdie-duperdie glasses, and only had to pay extra for the “transitions” lenses (the ones that get darker the more stoned you are brighter the light is), and I got the extra scratch resistant/smudge resistant coating, since I’m pretty tough on glasses, seeing as I never wear them, and always take them off and leave them somewhere where the goddamn cats can knock them on the floor. Supposedly, these goddamn things (the goddamn glasses, not the goddamn cats) would’ve cost me $500, but I only had to pony up $89 (as I told the guy, if I had to pay $500, I wouldn’t be getting them; not to mention that I wouldn’t even pay $89 for a cat).

I was gonna get my standard pair, but the guy took one look and said, “you don’t want a pair like that.”

What? I don’t? Well, what the fuck do I know? As my wife can tell you, like Doug Berman I’m not exactly a “slave to fashion.”
I suppose I ought to get my hair cut, too, since I’m sure it’s not “up to date” (it’s gettin’ pretty gray, too). But, I have an employer to break in.

I always feel it’s important to let new (or relatively new) employers know that, you know what? All that shit I said at the interview? Well, that was just bullshit. You asked the questions, and I bullshitted you pretty good. Better than anybody else, apparently (plus, you academic and “licensed” types seem to be pretty impressed by a degree – especially a masters).

So, anyway, you’re stuck with me now, and we both know what a pain in the ass it is to hire a new person, so you don’t wanna shitcan me as long as I’m at least competent (and, after all, I am nothing if not competent). You let me be me, and I’ll do some good shit (sooner or later; just don’t push me – you can’t rush genius, you know). Just don’t make me wear a tie, and let me have my ponytail again. Not that I think a ponytail is so great, but then I can cut my hair myself (just to keep it out of my face), and tie it back. I used to have it down to the middle of my back (and only just three or so months ago – prior to June; how time flies). It’s amazing, how easily we get absorbed back into the collective. So, anyway, that’s why I feel it’s important to assert your individuality right away. Otherwise, you’ll just get swallowed up (and not in a good way).

Now, where were we? Oh yeah. Glasses.

I always get the “aviator” style, because, at heart (though I’ve never flown anything, unless you count MS flight simulator, or Jane’s Apache Longbow), I’m a fighter pilot (also a rock star). But, apparently, aviator style glasses are no longer cool. This guy said I needed something more “up to date.” I think he was calling me old (or at least calling my glasses old). Which is funny, since he was older than me (at least, I hope he was) – and about twice my circumference (and I’m not exactly svelte these days).

So, I got these “Harley” frames. Not that they especially evoke “biker dude” (another one of my Walter Mitty – you young folks can go look that one up – personæ) to me, but they’re “Harley Davidson” branded. So, we’ll see what happens. No doubt I’ll be fighting the babes off like the guys in the Hai Karate (another one for you whipper-snappers to look up) commercials used to. They’re supposed to be ready on Saturday. I’ll keep you posted as to how they work (whether you give a shit or not).

Happy Friday, y’all!

So, I have to go to some sort of training thing today. It’s half a day, and, ordinarily, I wouldn’t mind, but I have some shit I’m working on that I’d really like to get finished as soon as possible. This is not only going to set me back half a day, but I have to go to my “other” location tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday, so I won’t get back to this until next Wednesday (at which point, it’ll take me at least half a day to get my mind back into it). Pain in the ass. There probably won’t even be any schwag.

Oh well, could be worse. At least I don’t have a Thursday meeting, like Fred does.

So, doesn’t sound like the Petraeus show went over all that well. Not that it’ll really matter in the long run. And now Bush is set to out maneuver the Democrats by making some token troop reductions. Mission Re-accomplished and all that. In the meantime, plans for bombing Iran are in the works. I just hope they hold off on Armageddon until I get some vacation time.

Six years ago. Amazing, isn’t it? I dunno about you, but it seems like a hell of a lot longer ago to me. It’s at least three lifetimes ago. There are things that happen in life, where you realize how fortunate and lucky you were to have the right person in the right place at the right time. Needless to say, September 11, 2001 was not one of those time. In fact, you could pretty easily argue that we had the absolute worst person (people) running the show on that day. And it’s gotten nothing but worse since.

Speaking of which, I caught a little of the Petraeus dog and pony show on the radio while I was in the car yesterday. I just can’t be bothered with his bullshit, or the bullshit niceties of our elected “representatives.” The Republicans don’t give a flying fuck about anything but protecting themselves and what’s left of their preznit. The Democrats, well, I don’t know what they give a shit about. Some are more weaselly than others, I guess. But even those that talk a good game aren’t willing to do what it takes to put an end to this shit. In the end, they’ll just cave in to whatever Bush wants. I’ll be damned if I know why, but, well, that seems to be the way it is. I hate to be a buzzkill, but, frankly, I’m kinda thinking this whole Iran thing is what’s gonna be the end of everything. I just don’t see anything but the worst coming out of all this.

Somebody hurry up and dial the gate – it’s time to get outta here.