I am really going to miss having this Obama family in the White House.
I like the Clintons just fine, but these folks are just incredibly classy and fun.
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Happy Super Bowl Day!
It is just about the ONLY American religious holiday that I can participate in without reservation.
Oh sure I'm worried about concussions, and the long term physical effects that the game has on the athletes, but not nearly enough to let it diminish in any way the taste of my special Superbowl nacho and guacamole platter. Yum, yum!
My brother is coming over later today and we will engage in our usual Superbowl ritual of him blaming me for everything that went wrong in his life, and my telling him that he was adopted.
Then at some point we will have our usual argument about whose fault it is that our parents got divorced and we will finish up the day with him in a headlock and my telling him that being an inch and half taller is no compensation for having an ingrown penis.
Ahh, good times!
I am not going to tell any of you who to root for, but you should be aware that the Ravens are going to win. I tell you this to you with the casual confidence of somebody who just learned three days ago who was even playing this year, and who chose the Ravens simply because he learned that the 49ers are homophobic. Good enough for me, go Ravens!
Okay so I don't pay attention to football all that much, sue me.
Besides we all know why MOST of you will be tuning in anyhow, don't we?
And of course it can't be the Superbowl without at least ONE controversial ad, right? Ooh, the line up looks good this year.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Now for something just a little different. An Emmy Award Show Open Thread.
"Game Change," "Hatfields & McCoys," "Hemingway & Gellhorn," Luther," "Sherlock" and "American Horror Story"were nominated Thursday morning for best miniseries or movie at this year's 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Adapted from the 2010 book "Game Change," the HBO political drama follows former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's path during the 2008 presidential campaign. Julianne Moore stars as Palin with Ed Harris as Sen. John McCain and Woody Harrelson as campaign strategist Steve Schmidt.
I usually only pay minimal attention to the Emmy's (I enjoy the Oscars somewhat more.) however my daughter is a huge fan and watches it pretty much every year with her friends.
However for some reason, and I simply have no idea why, THIS year's Emmy ceremony is of much more interest to me than those in the past.
No seriously I have a lot of favorites, from "American Horror Story" (one of the few made for TV horror series that is TRULY scary.), to "The Big Bang Theory" (That Sheldon Cooper character cracks me up every time!), to "Game of Thrones" (What's NOT to love?), that I am rooting for this year.
But of course the one I am the most interested in watching win a whole slew of Emmys (They are nominated for 12!) is "Game Change."
Especially since I am pretty sure that every win will be accompanied by the sound of Sarah Palin winging a can of moose stew against a refrigerator somewhere in...where is she now?
Oh that's right, Las Vegas. (Warning link goes to pro-Palin site.)
Though for that matter I also liked the Tina Fey version better.
What am I saying? I even like THIS one better than the real thing.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Bristol Palin participates in the "Running of the Reindeer" in Anchorage.
In case you got confused Bristol is the one in the white jacket.
The reindeer are wearing fur.
And so is that big dumbass Bob Lester who was the guy with the microphone.
The guy standing next to Bristol is apparently her still current boy toy Gino Paoletti.
So many jokes here, but I am going to be nice today.
The reindeer are wearing fur.
And so is that big dumbass Bob Lester who was the guy with the microphone.
The guy standing next to Bristol is apparently her still current boy toy Gino Paoletti.
So many jokes here, but I am going to be nice today.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
President fires assault weapon in White House. Okay, I might have exaggerated a little.
Okay well obviously its more of a toy, than a weapon, but I can certainly think of a few people on who I would like to open fire with it.
I think in the next war we declare it should be stipulated that ONLY marshmallow cannons can be used. That way nobody has to die, and when you get hit you have a tasty little snack to eat as you leave the field of battle.
Tomorrow we will have to hear from the Republicans about how the President does not take his job seriously and is promoting a faith in science over religion. They ruin everything.
Personally I really enjoy watching the President having fun on the job. Lord knows he deserves it.
Update: The kid who built the marshmallow cannon was not the only one who had a special experience meeting the President.
President Obama clearly shares as special bond with our young Americans. And it speaks to the kind of character that no political ad will ever adequately capture.
But you can certainly see it here, in these photographs.
(Photos courtesy of the Obama Diary.)
I think in the next war we declare it should be stipulated that ONLY marshmallow cannons can be used. That way nobody has to die, and when you get hit you have a tasty little snack to eat as you leave the field of battle.
Tomorrow we will have to hear from the Republicans about how the President does not take his job seriously and is promoting a faith in science over religion. They ruin everything.
Personally I really enjoy watching the President having fun on the job. Lord knows he deserves it.
Update: The kid who built the marshmallow cannon was not the only one who had a special experience meeting the President.
But you can certainly see it here, in these photographs.
(Photos courtesy of the Obama Diary.)
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Strangest video of the day. Senator Ted Stevens participating in martial arts tournament in 1973.
Here is the description:
Nine minute, 23 second, color with sound film clip of a Jhoon Rhee martial arts tournament held in Washington, D.C., or Maryland, probably in 1973. The film depicts a competition between three Republicans and three Democrats, which ended in a tie. Among the politicians featured are Representative Tom Bevill, Senator Quentin Burdick, Representive Flyod Spence, Delegate Walter Fauntroy, and Senator Ted Stevens. This film clip is excerpted fromTSCM-1970-1 of the Ted Stevens Collection held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of the Alaska & Polar Regions Department in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Wow does watching that take me back or what?
I actually had my first competition in 1972, when Alaska martial arts were still in their infancy.
This 1973 competition was clearly an exhibition, where it was predetermined that there would be no declared winners. Which I am sure is the only way they could have coaxed three Democrats and three Republicans to participate.
It is painful to watch these men attempt a sport that they are clearly not well trained to compete in. The lack of balance and flexibility is especially distracting for me.
Still I have to hand it to them to put themselves out there like that. Could you even imagine this kind of thing happening today? Somebody would undoubtedly get killed.
The officiator is Jhoon Rhee, who EVERY martial artist from the seventies and eighties knows all too well, because we were all forced to use his Jhoon Rhee Safe-T-Chop gloves and Safe-T-Kick footgear in order to compete. I HATED those crappy things, and must have ripped or split at least six or seven pairs of them over the years. (I once punched my way right out of a pair of Safe-T-Chops during a competition.)
I just have to add that during this time, even though I was only twelve or thirteen, I successfully competed against full grown men, and I would have DESTROYED Uncle Ted Stevens in a competition. I'm just saying.
(H/T to the Alaska Dispatch.)
Nine minute, 23 second, color with sound film clip of a Jhoon Rhee martial arts tournament held in Washington, D.C., or Maryland, probably in 1973. The film depicts a competition between three Republicans and three Democrats, which ended in a tie. Among the politicians featured are Representative Tom Bevill, Senator Quentin Burdick, Representive Flyod Spence, Delegate Walter Fauntroy, and Senator Ted Stevens. This film clip is excerpted fromTSCM-1970-1 of the Ted Stevens Collection held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of the Alaska & Polar Regions Department in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Wow does watching that take me back or what?
I actually had my first competition in 1972, when Alaska martial arts were still in their infancy.
This 1973 competition was clearly an exhibition, where it was predetermined that there would be no declared winners. Which I am sure is the only way they could have coaxed three Democrats and three Republicans to participate.
It is painful to watch these men attempt a sport that they are clearly not well trained to compete in. The lack of balance and flexibility is especially distracting for me.
Still I have to hand it to them to put themselves out there like that. Could you even imagine this kind of thing happening today? Somebody would undoubtedly get killed.
The officiator is Jhoon Rhee, who EVERY martial artist from the seventies and eighties knows all too well, because we were all forced to use his Jhoon Rhee Safe-T-Chop gloves and Safe-T-Kick footgear in order to compete. I HATED those crappy things, and must have ripped or split at least six or seven pairs of them over the years. (I once punched my way right out of a pair of Safe-T-Chops during a competition.)
I just have to add that during this time, even though I was only twelve or thirteen, I successfully competed against full grown men, and I would have DESTROYED Uncle Ted Stevens in a competition. I'm just saying.
(H/T to the Alaska Dispatch.)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
"I'll Occupy" Recruitment Song: The 99 is Pissed and We Will Not Be Dismissed!
Here are some of the lyrics courtesy of Freaked out Nation:
We’ll protest on, with catchy phases
We’re going global
From London to Uc Davis
If you think that your batons are going to get us to go home
GO on and hit me,
I’ll just upload it from my phone.
The song is pretty ingenious, though a little tongue in cheek.
However it may come in very handy to help inspire the Occupy LA protesters who are scheduled to be evicted tomorrow, which might result in a whole new group of citizens finding themselves on the receiving end of a blast of pepper spray or a police baton.
The movement is over two months old now and despite the frigid temperatures seems to be gaining in both strength and influence.
P.S. By the way I don't believe this song is the official anthem of the OWS protestors, but it IS catchy!
We’ll protest on, with catchy phases
We’re going global
From London to Uc Davis
If you think that your batons are going to get us to go home
GO on and hit me,
I’ll just upload it from my phone.
The song is pretty ingenious, though a little tongue in cheek.
However it may come in very handy to help inspire the Occupy LA protesters who are scheduled to be evicted tomorrow, which might result in a whole new group of citizens finding themselves on the receiving end of a blast of pepper spray or a police baton.
The movement is over two months old now and despite the frigid temperatures seems to be gaining in both strength and influence.
P.S. By the way I don't believe this song is the official anthem of the OWS protestors, but it IS catchy!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Guaranteed to be the coolest thing you see all day.
Live Augmented Reality for National Geographic Channel / UPC from Appshaker Ltd on Vimeo.
Courtesy of The Creator's Project:So you’re at the local shopping centre/mall, when you look up and your friend is patting a dinosaur. It’s not a toy or a child’s ride, so what, exactly, is going on here? Did you have hallucinogens for breakfast again? Hmm… No need to panic, it’s just some real-time augmented reality from National Geographic TV.
The gauntlet has been thrown, if you find something that is cooler than this I invite you to post the link in the comments section and rub my face in it.
Yeah, like THAT'S going to happen!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Apparently my office is surrounded by this great place called Alaska. So I thought I should get out and take a look at it.
My friend, Dennis Zaki, and I have been talking about taking the families on a camping trip for two years now. Finally I ran out of excuses and we planned to hit the road last Sunday night. Oh boy?
I loaded up the old Durango, made sure my I-Phone was fully charged, and headed off to Sutton, Alaska.
Yep that's Sutton, Alaska on that map. What? You can't get a good idea of what Sutton is like from just looking at a map?
Well here let me show you a picture.
What? You would like to see more of Sutton? Well you my friend are out of luck because, besides the fire station where we were standing when we took this picture, this IS Sutton, Alaska.
You see in Alaska the difference between "town" and "smattering of buildings built fairly close together" is virtually non-existent.
I do believe the founding of most towns goes something like this:
"Hey Frank, did you notice that somebody went and built a bait shop next to the gas station/house of ill repute?"
"Yeah I did."
"Well daggumit, I think we got ourselves a town here Frank! Whatchyou wanna call it?"
"Hell, let's name it something purdy, like Chlamydia."
"Nah, don't be ignorant, that sounds too French! Let's call it something that will always demand respect, like Wasilla!"
"Perfect!"
(So now you know how Wasilla got its name. Go ahead, look it up!)
From Sutton (Or as I called it, "That building standing all by itself.") we turned left and headed up toward the area where Dennis swore there were tons of fossils to hunt and a breathtaking view of the mountains.
That was the good news.
The bad news is that THIS was the road that led to it.
Yes, in Sutton THAT is considered a "road."
I knew it would be difficult when I passed a mountain goat walking the other way shaking his head and going "Fuck that, I am going back."
But I am an Alaskan dammit. so onward we go.
It really wasn't so bad if you drove three miles and hour and kept your sphincter squeezed shut the entire time. (Here is the link to the video that Dennis shot just in case you think I am exaggerating.) Finally we got past the rough part, and I stopped to stretch my legs and do a little vomiting.
Okay back to the vehicle. (If you are noticing my gray hair I should probably inform you that it was golden brown when I started up that "road.")
On the way to the campsite we stopped to collect fossils.
As you can see there were indeed fossils. LOT'S of them. The kids LOVED it!
We also found some petrified wood. (Insert Hugh Hefner Viagra joke here.)
After finding about two dozen fossils, and feeding the local mosquitoes until they were too full to fly and could only stumble drunkenly along the path, we got back into the Durango and headed to the campsite.
Okay you have to admit that IS pretty gorgeous!
Before we built our fire, and burnt ourselves some dinner, we decided to pitch our tents.(You know I have such a juvenile sense of humor that I had to lower my head to hide the smile that spread across my face every time somebody said "pitch a tent." No it is not likely that I will grow up any time soon, but thanks for asking.)
Dennis pitched his tent ("giggle") near the edge of the cliff because he wanted to have the best view of the mountains in the morning. I informed him that where I pitched my tent ("snicker") I had virtually the same view while completely avoiding the risk of stepping out to urinate in the middle of the night and plunging to my death. He was not amused.
After we ate we started talking politics. We talked about Rupert Murdoch's crumbling empire, the insanity of the Teabaggers, and puzzled as to why people were still fooled by Sarah Palin's magically fluctuating breast size.
After we had exhausted those subjects, and many more, we turned in.
Though the view was spectacular, the ground was so hard that I got up several times in the night to check and see if somebody had paved under my sleeping bag when I was not looking. There was no pavement, but I swear that the ground was so unyielding that I woke up with bruises on my soul.
I was also trying to find a signal for my I-Phone to moderate comments and check e-mails while lying in my tent, which had me flailing my hand around like a lunatic for much of the night. (I did manage to moderate over a 120 comments despite poor service, and shooting pains in my back from lying on the section of petrified earth that was serving as my bed. You're welcome.)
After a fitful night I awoke at 5:30 A.M. (just like every morning) to get my cup of hot coffee and surf the internet, before suddenly realizing there was NO coffee, and there was NO internet. WTF? Who lives like this?
However the view that morning WAS pretty stunning.
After building a fire, and leaning over the cliff to snag a signal in order to moderate more comments, and to make sure my robo-posts posted successfully, I kind of got bored. After all, I am an internet junkie who is always surrounded by multiple electronic devises feeding me information 24 hours a day.
In other words, I was jonesing bad!
I wandered around for about an hour, peed on some bushes, and prepared a blueberry bagel with cream cheese for my breakfast. About that time everybody else started getting up as well, and after all of the others were fed, Dennis and I looked at each other and realized that we had squeezed pretty much all of the entertainment value out of the whole camping thing and needed to get back to our jobs, coffee, and, of course, the internet.
So we packed up our things, peed one more time on the bushes, and started on the long roller coaster like drive down the mountain. (Just as harrowing the second time as the first time, by the way.)
All in all it WAS a lot of fun. But after I arrived home I remembered what is always my favorite part of the whole camping experience, and that is the long hot shower I take afterwards.
Oh did THAT feel GOOOOOD!
We are currently in discussion about another overnight camping trip. I have no idea when, or where, we might go, but Dennis just vetoed my first suggestion of camping in my backyard so I can access my Wi-Fi all night and have a hot cup of coffee in the morning.
Some people are SO difficult.
(Here is a panoramic view that Dennis stitched together using several photos, so that you can enjoy the same view we did without having your fillings knocked loose on the way up.)
I loaded up the old Durango, made sure my I-Phone was fully charged, and headed off to Sutton, Alaska.
Yep that's Sutton, Alaska on that map. What? You can't get a good idea of what Sutton is like from just looking at a map?
Well here let me show you a picture.
What? You would like to see more of Sutton? Well you my friend are out of luck because, besides the fire station where we were standing when we took this picture, this IS Sutton, Alaska.
You see in Alaska the difference between "town" and "smattering of buildings built fairly close together" is virtually non-existent.
I do believe the founding of most towns goes something like this:
"Hey Frank, did you notice that somebody went and built a bait shop next to the gas station/house of ill repute?"
"Yeah I did."
"Well daggumit, I think we got ourselves a town here Frank! Whatchyou wanna call it?"
"Hell, let's name it something purdy, like Chlamydia."
"Nah, don't be ignorant, that sounds too French! Let's call it something that will always demand respect, like Wasilla!"
"Perfect!"
(So now you know how Wasilla got its name. Go ahead, look it up!)
From Sutton (Or as I called it, "That building standing all by itself.") we turned left and headed up toward the area where Dennis swore there were tons of fossils to hunt and a breathtaking view of the mountains.
That was the good news.
The bad news is that THIS was the road that led to it.
Yes, in Sutton THAT is considered a "road."
I knew it would be difficult when I passed a mountain goat walking the other way shaking his head and going "Fuck that, I am going back."
But I am an Alaskan dammit. so onward we go.
It really wasn't so bad if you drove three miles and hour and kept your sphincter squeezed shut the entire time. (Here is the link to the video that Dennis shot just in case you think I am exaggerating.) Finally we got past the rough part, and I stopped to stretch my legs and do a little vomiting.
Okay back to the vehicle. (If you are noticing my gray hair I should probably inform you that it was golden brown when I started up that "road.")
On the way to the campsite we stopped to collect fossils.
As you can see there were indeed fossils. LOT'S of them. The kids LOVED it!
We also found some petrified wood. (Insert Hugh Hefner Viagra joke here.)
After finding about two dozen fossils, and feeding the local mosquitoes until they were too full to fly and could only stumble drunkenly along the path, we got back into the Durango and headed to the campsite.
Okay you have to admit that IS pretty gorgeous!
Before we built our fire, and burnt ourselves some dinner, we decided to pitch our tents.(You know I have such a juvenile sense of humor that I had to lower my head to hide the smile that spread across my face every time somebody said "pitch a tent." No it is not likely that I will grow up any time soon, but thanks for asking.)
Dennis pitched his tent ("giggle") near the edge of the cliff because he wanted to have the best view of the mountains in the morning. I informed him that where I pitched my tent ("snicker") I had virtually the same view while completely avoiding the risk of stepping out to urinate in the middle of the night and plunging to my death. He was not amused.
After we ate we started talking politics. We talked about Rupert Murdoch's crumbling empire, the insanity of the Teabaggers, and puzzled as to why people were still fooled by Sarah Palin's magically fluctuating breast size.
After we had exhausted those subjects, and many more, we turned in.
Though the view was spectacular, the ground was so hard that I got up several times in the night to check and see if somebody had paved under my sleeping bag when I was not looking. There was no pavement, but I swear that the ground was so unyielding that I woke up with bruises on my soul.
I was also trying to find a signal for my I-Phone to moderate comments and check e-mails while lying in my tent, which had me flailing my hand around like a lunatic for much of the night. (I did manage to moderate over a 120 comments despite poor service, and shooting pains in my back from lying on the section of petrified earth that was serving as my bed. You're welcome.)
After a fitful night I awoke at 5:30 A.M. (just like every morning) to get my cup of hot coffee and surf the internet, before suddenly realizing there was NO coffee, and there was NO internet. WTF? Who lives like this?
However the view that morning WAS pretty stunning.
After building a fire, and leaning over the cliff to snag a signal in order to moderate more comments, and to make sure my robo-posts posted successfully, I kind of got bored. After all, I am an internet junkie who is always surrounded by multiple electronic devises feeding me information 24 hours a day.
In other words, I was jonesing bad!
I wandered around for about an hour, peed on some bushes, and prepared a blueberry bagel with cream cheese for my breakfast. About that time everybody else started getting up as well, and after all of the others were fed, Dennis and I looked at each other and realized that we had squeezed pretty much all of the entertainment value out of the whole camping thing and needed to get back to our jobs, coffee, and, of course, the internet.
So we packed up our things, peed one more time on the bushes, and started on the long roller coaster like drive down the mountain. (Just as harrowing the second time as the first time, by the way.)
All in all it WAS a lot of fun. But after I arrived home I remembered what is always my favorite part of the whole camping experience, and that is the long hot shower I take afterwards.
Oh did THAT feel GOOOOOD!
We are currently in discussion about another overnight camping trip. I have no idea when, or where, we might go, but Dennis just vetoed my first suggestion of camping in my backyard so I can access my Wi-Fi all night and have a hot cup of coffee in the morning.
Some people are SO difficult.
(Here is a panoramic view that Dennis stitched together using several photos, so that you can enjoy the same view we did without having your fillings knocked loose on the way up.)
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