OK, I’m a little late with this, but, well, I’m slow and lazy (plus I have a bad back, and now my goddamn knee has decided to act up on me; this gettin’ old shit really sucks, at least in the physical department. I’m a lot smarter now that I was when I was young, though – which ought to give you an idea of just how friggin’ stupid I was when I was young), so that’s just how it goes. Anyhow, I got “tagged” by Melina, and this is my response (I hope I’m doing this correctly, since, in addition to being slow and lazy, I have a tendency to not read things carefully, and I can’t remember most of what I just read, anyway).

First, here off, here are the rules:

These are the rules:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.

Well, I must say, I was quite flattered to be “tagged,” especially since I mostly have just been “phoning it in” lately. I mean, writing about how your back hurts, or “not much to say today” hardly inspires much thinking. And, anyway, this place has never been about what I have to say. It’s about you guys. The lurkers and the posters that show up are here to read what you guys have to say. It’s nice for me, ‘cuz all I have to do is get a fresh thread up every morning, and let you all have at it. The links, stories, and ideas that you guys come up with every day are beyond fantastic. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I’d really miss you all if this went away. I feel as if I have friends from all around the world, and it’s truly amazing (if you think about it) how a bunch of people can become “friends” (I’d even go so far as to say family) without ever really having “met.” Sure, it says a lot about Maron and Morning Sedition, but it says even more about all of you. So, thanks to everybody who’s made this little community so much fun to be around. And to you lurkers out there, lurking is fine, but if you every want to jump in and say hello, that’d be great, too. But, enough of this mushy shit.

So, what blogs make me think? Well, there are two blogs from amongst out family members that come to mind. The first is the world-renowned Brilliant at Breakfast, hosted by Jill. There are always some great reads there, and Jill is much more prolific a writer than I could ever hope to be. The second is Melina’s blog, RIPCOCO. You generally have to set aside a couple of minutes to read Melina’s blog, because she has a lot to say, and it’s always interesting.

Things get a little tougher from here on out, though. I don’t really read blogs to do much thinkin’. Mostly, I read them to get links to articles that I’d never have had the time to find on my own. I think the blog I go to most frequently (even, the one I go to first), is Talking Points Memo, from Josh Marshall. There’s some great original reporting done from this site (along with its sister sites, TPM Muckraker, TPM Election Central, and TPM Cafe), as well as links to news items from all over.

Then, of course, there’s John Amato’s Crooks and Liars. In addition to being an FOM (friend of Maron), I know that I can always count on John to post the video that would never have a chance to see otherwise (and I’d never want to have to sit through Fux Noise or some of the other crap that these clips come from). Missed a great Olbermann “Special Comment”? Never fear, you can always count on C&L to have it there waiting for you.

Another blog I love to visit is NYCO’s Blog. This is more of a Central New York blog, but it’s always well written, with a lot of great stuff (even for non-Upstaters). Plus, she always has a great photo for her blog header, which changes frequently.

OK, I need one more, here. So, I guess I’ll go with that old standby, The Smirking Chimp. I’ve been a fan of the Chimp for a long time, and it’s a great place to go get news stories that you’d have to spend hours digging up on your own.

So, I reckon that’ll do it. Have a good Monday.

So, we’ve got a failed occupation of a sovereign nation, and a constitutional crisis in progress, thanks to an executive branch that believes it’s not only above the law, but above the constitution. I’m sure today’s talking head shows will address all of this in a serious and non-partisan manner.

First up, on Press the Meat, it’s an “exclusive” with the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, on to tell us how we are both safer than we were before invading Iraq, yet in terrible, terrible peril from the boogeymen out there. Then there’s Russ Feingold (who I used to think was one of the few Senators who had our backs, but who now apparently thinks Congress is just too damn busy to impeach the Chimp and his Cyborg VP), and a good old-fashioned redneck roundtable of NY Times asshole David Brooks, one of the Bush-licking lackies from the Weekly Standard, Stephen Hayes (who would just love to suck him some Cheney), and Bob “the has been” Woodward. Should be a thrilling show.

Over at CBS, Bush buddy Bobby Schieffer hosts Harry Reid, and WINO Olympia Snowe.

Fux News will try to put the fear back into us, as Weaselface Wallace hosts Fran Townsend, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (that’s the best they could do?), and then it’s Krazy Kit Bond and DLC’er Evan Bayh, on to discuss how the NIE on Iraq actually shows how safe we are (but we should still be scared). Or not. And then it’s multi-billionaire Richard Branson.

The Goebbels Network spares us, as This Weak with George Snufalufagus is preempted, courtesy of the final round of the British Open. Tiger’s eight shots back, and he’s not much for coming from behind on the last day, but you never know.

CNN will recycle Frances Townsend on Wolf Blitzer’s Late Emission, plus there’s John Edwards campaign manager, David Bonior, Artur Davis, of the Obama Campaign, shithead Senate Minority Leader, Mitch “the Prick” McConnell, Dick Durbin, the somewhat endangered Pakistani Foreign Minister, Kurshid Kasuri, and the usual collection of CNN hacks, flacks, and sacks (of shit).

Later, on 60 Minutes, it’s a collection of recycled stories, including Scott Pelley on how 300,000 mentally ill Americans are tossed into prison, because there’s no place else to put them these days, Morley Safer talks to the asshole lobbyist Rick Berman, and Anderson Cooper proves he’s just a good old down home boy, as he interviews Kenny Chesney. Yee-hah.

Have a good Sunday, y’all.

This weekend is the Syracuse Nationals, which means that the streets are full of classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Some of these cars are truly beautiful. You know, from back when cars were cars. I’ve never been much of a motor head, but from what I understand, this is a pretty big deal amongst the classic car set around the country.

As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also the weekend of the New York State Blues Festival. This year’s main act is Buddy Guy, who is possibly my favorite living guitar player. Unfortunately, he’s not on stage until Sunday night at 9:30, which makes it a little bit late for me. But, it’s free, so I guess I’ll have to see if I can manage it. Enjoy your day

Finally, the end of one very long goddamn week. Now, let’s go out there and get this day over with already.

So, here we go. Another day to get through. This has been a long week, and it’s not even Friday yet. Anybody got a sure-fire winning lottery number generator? I don’t need much. Just a couple million for myself, and a few more to buy AAR and kick Lionel and the Greens to the curb. Then it’s free podcasts for everyone!

I can’t write much today, because I literally can’t sit here and type for very long, thanks to my back. It’s freakin’ killing me. It was all I could do to drive home last night. I’m trying not to breathe much, ‘cuz that hurts, too. This should be a really fun day at work.

I forgot how much sitting in a chair staring at a computer all day kills my back. Another couple of weeks, and I should be totally crippled. Speaking of crippled, poor Saint McCain just can’t catch a break, can he? I think he and Joey Lieberman ought to form a unity ticket, and then go fuck themselves (and/or each other). Don’t know who gets the worst part of that deal. I guess it’d be anybody forced to watch. Well, better go see what the two for Tuesday woot is. Have a good one.

Phew. Thank goodness the weekend is finally over. One more day of not having to get up at 5 AM and then driving 50 miles to get to my job that’s less than five miles away, and I’d have gone stirfreakincrazy. I’m just so glad that I don’t have any vacation time yet, ‘cuz I don’t know what I’d do with it.

So, let’s see what this week brings. I’m just wondering if Bush and Cheney are gonna force the Democrats to impeach them, no matter how reluctant they may be to actually do it. Of course, if they’re gonna impeach, they have to convict. That means they need to convince another 25% or so of the people to clamor to remove these assholes. That’s the only way half of the friggin’ Republicans will ever vote to convict. Oh well, off to the salt mines.

Sunday already? Shit, that means I gotta go to work tomorrow. Oh, well, at least I have the Sunday talking heads to comfort me. Speaking of which….

On Press the Meat, it’s Jim Webb, on to kick li’l Lindsey Graham in the mansack (assuming he actually has one), over the failure known as Iraq. Then it’s a rountable, with Mr. Judy Woodruff, Al Hunt, yet another example of what happens when the Irish go bad, Republican “strategist, Mike Murphy, Count Novakula (in a rare daytime appearance; I guess if they give him a blood transfusion he can handle an hour or two in the sun), and Democratic “strategist” (and all-around asshole) Bob Shrum.

Over at Faze the Nation, it’s Natonal Security Adviser Stephen Hadley (must be a tough job, pretending you’re doing something to protect the country, while trying to keep everybody cowering in fear at the same time) Tennessee cracker, Lamar Alexander, Time’s Karen Tumulty (a third-place “worst person in the world” award winner, and runner-up as the female who most looks like John Kerry), and another Tome magazine hack, Dan “got no” Balz.

On Fux News Sunday, weaselface Wallace has recycles Stephen Hadley, and then he’ll berate Carl Levin for a while. Plus, “can the surge succeed?” When in doubt ask a neocon. In this case, it’s the “genius” who came up with the plan in the first place, chickenhawk Fred Kagan.

At the Goebbels network, it’s an all Republican kinda day, as George Snufalufagus hosts Stephen Hadley (again), John”what the hell was Liz thinking” Warner,and the aptly named “Dick Lugar. Plus, at the roundtable, it’s Time Magazine hack, Mr. Claire Shipman, Jay Carney, Mrs Jay Carney, Claire Shipman, Sam :omg: Donaldson and George :jerk: Will.

On CNN…. Fuck CNN! Until they give Michael Moore an apology, CNN is dead to me. I hope Wolf Blitzer’s Late Emission isn’t covered by his HMO.

Later, on 60 Minutes, it’s a buncha friggin’ rerun segments.

Enjoy your Sunday, and don’t waste your time with these idiots. If something good happens, it’ll be on Crooks and Liars.

Another too short weekend is upon us. I dunno about you guys, but I have lots to do, including bottling a batch of homebrew, and cooking up another batch. I actually have the fixin’s to brew a couple of batches, but one needs to sit around and age for quite a while, so I may have to do that next weekend. So much beer, so little time….