That's Spiffy!

My current obsession...

College a capella!

You're welcome for all the fish.

In today's "too little, too late" news comes this gem: 

Bush prepares global warming initiative

By Stephen Dinan
April 14, 2008

President Bush is poised to change course and announce as early as this week that he wants Congress to pass a bill to combat global warming, and will lay out principles for what that should include. (MORE)

Of course my response to this is:

Isn't this a little like closing the barn doors after the horses have already escaped, and all the world's major barn/horse scientists are in agreement that the horses have already escaped, and your buddy named Big Oil set the barn on fire with a molotov cocktail? Just asking. 

In any case, thanks for the warning, 43.  So glad you cared so much about the environment to try and do something now with all this time left in office.  If I didn't know better, I would think you were dolphin:

But I do know better and won't insult the dolphins like that. 

Best Post-Lent Meal EVAR.

 Originally uploaded by that's spiffy

Yeah, I failed math.

But from what I gather:

Hillary + Obama = Obama Supporters Betrayed = Lost (Youth + Black Vote) = 1/American Public = McCain Victory 

More importantly:

Hillary + Obama =/= Obama + Hillary

Even more importantly:

Hillary (currently LOSING in the delegate count) offering Obama the VP spot on the ticket = Iceman from "Top Gun" offering Maverick his wing because:

1) "Bullshit HIllary, you can be his" and;

2) GAY! 

What about indemnity?

The White House wants to grant the telecom companies immunity for assisting with warrantless wiretapping and the surveillance of suspected terrorists.  The White House is arguing that without immunity, telecom companies will be hesitant to participate in the program because of the possibility of civil lawsuits.  And if the telecom companies don't assist, our government's ability to defend against security threats is undermined. 

If the White House thinks the telecoms are afraid of participating because of civil lawsuits and the possibility of being sued for millions, why doesn't the White House indemnify the telecoms? 

If the government provides indemnity and the telecoms are sued, the government compensates the telecoms for the cost of litigation.  Yes, we the taxpayers may ultimately pay the legal costs, but if the White House is so adamant that it can't perform this surveillance without the telecoms, isn't indemnity a small price to pay in the name of national security?  Also, wouldn't the government would only pay these legal costs if the telecoms lost the lawsuits? 

The added benefit of indemnity is that should American citizens' fourth amendment rights be violated by [some rogue element, of course, in] the telecoms, citizens still have recourse and the ability to hold someone accountable for that violation.  Whereas with immunity, no one is held accountable. 

In reality, indemnity would never be considered as an alternative to immunity.  Because while indemnity projects the telecoms financially, immunity also protects them criminally.  And that's the white elephant in the room that the White House doesn't want to acknowledge.  Telecoms aren't just worried about money, they also don't want to worry about dropping the soap next to Biff in the prison shower. 

The hypocrisy of "trust us, what we want the telecoms to do is totally legal, but lets give them immunity in case it really isn't" is astounding.  If the government really wants to protect our way of life, I can think of few better places to start than by protecting our right against illegal search and seizure. 

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Happy Cherub Harassment Day.

- I gave up fast food for Lent.  The past week has been one of constant negotiation: 

"Well, is pizza fast food?" 
"I think if we ordered it to go, yes, but if we went to a pizzeria and sat down?  I think that'd be ok." 
"What about hot pockets and other frozen food?" 
"I'm gonna say that's fast food." 
"Why?"
"Because that's like getting delivered pizza but only faster, and in delicious pocket form." 
"Goddamn you, Lent!" 
"...I don't think He does.  I think Lent was kinda His idea." 

- I dig Ellen Page.  Especially that she's from Nova Scotia.  (Would she be a Nova Scotian or a Novan Scotian?)  But I can't support her best actress oscar nomination. 

Why?  Because it's "ThunderBIRDS are go!"  And it's "ThunderCATS, ho!"  *shakes head*

(Yeah, I know, it was probably incorrect in the script which would make it Diablo Cody's fault. But she was a stripper.  Man law: you can't hate on strippers or girls named Diablo or cute girls who write gooder than you.)

- If you haven't tried picnik, it's AWESOME. 

- About a year ago I first heard "Defying Gravity".  Still digging it.

The day I unregistered from the GOP.

That would be today. 

It's been a long time coming but the last straw is how conservatives are treating McCain.  I thought we were the big tent party; the party of inclusion.   

Guess not. 

Guess the GOP is the party of inclusion as long as you believe what the Right believes. 

Guess the GOP is the party of compassionate conservatism as long as you're not an undocumented immigrant struggling for a better life. 

Guess the GOP is the party of fiscal responsibility as long as that's defined as budget deficits and soaring national debt and tax cuts at all costs, even while fighting two wars in two countries. 

And guess what?  That's just not me. 

You stay classy, GOP. 

In hindsight...

...Yes, today is a big day in American politics, one which the moniker "Tsunami Tuesday" accurately conveys.  But you know what would be even better?  "Millions of People Drowned and Displaced in an Act of God Tuesday."  That also conveys the immenseness with the benefit of being even more insensitive.  Better yet, "Hurricane Katrina Tuesday." 

...Writing a homer column about how the Pats are going to crush the Giants and then having your wife pick the Giants in the sidebar is Webster's definition of tempting fate. 

...The Matrix Reloaded and the Matrix Revolutions are kind of crappy movies. 

I know what you got last Christmas.

- Odds are, you got a Nintendo DS.  You know how I know this?  Because I spent the last month trying to buy a DS to replace the one that was lost before its time.  Best Buy, Gamestop, Amazon, Fry's, Target, KMart, the claw game at Chuck E Cheese... everyone was sold out of a DS. 

And then one day, I stopped by Best Buy at lunch and they finally had one in stock.  Only there was one catch: 

So yeah, I have a pink DS now.  I have a pink DS and it's freaking manly. 

- I recently discovered Steve & Barry's.  It's like Old Navy in the sense that there's something for everyone but it's also like Forever 21 in the sense that you feel like the clothes will disintegrate if you ever wear them out in the rain, which I guess is also like Old Navy. 

A friend of mine who used to work at Gap said they called their Old Navy line "disposable clothing." 

But yeah, Steve & Barry's, great find. 

- Went to ICCA over the weekend.  Man, Reverse Osmosis got robbed. 

No Country For Old Men.

Watched the film last night.  Haunting.  I guess you could say it's a film that explores how we deal with evil when it enters our lives.  Excellent flick, just not the best choice with which to fall asleep. 

For the longest time, I didn't understand how the makers of something as cerebral as this and "Fargo" could have also made films as wacky as "Something About Mary" and "Stuck On You."  ...That's because they didn't.  Coen brothers =/= Farrelly Brothers. 

I miss the good old days.  I like being grown up, but I miss not feeling grown up.