Angry Chicken is Decompressing

Going on vacation for a week. By the time I get back, I'll probably be no worse than an irritable chicken. If you're interested you can catch up on my travels at:

The Chicken Travels

I Could Have Gotten Some Purple Hearts

Turns out that my evil twin and I would have had a draft number of 2 had we been eligible to serve during Vietnam. This means that we would have been drafted practically right away(I'm not familiar with all the details). (Thanks to the evil twin for the link)

Good news is, it doesn't look like any of us pacifist pansies will need to ask our daddies to get us into the Texas Air National Guard any time soon, those draft re-instatement rumors appear to be just that, rumors.

I'm so tired of this Bullshit

What the fuck is going on with this country?

We're about to elect a president based on who served how in the military OVER 30 YEARS AGO!?!?!?!

This is my country and I deserve to know what Mssrs. Bush and Kerry would do to make it better, stronger, safer. Instead, all I get fed is a steady diet of Swift Boat Stories, Philandering Catholics and the fucking swing states. Does anybody realize that over 1,000 Americans have now died in Iraq? Health insurance now costs more than ever before? Gas prices look set to keep rising? Nearly 40,000 people die every year from gun related injuries? Aren't these issues more important than whether John Kerry had a 1 inch or 2 inch piece of shrapnel lodged in his arm 30 FUCKING YEARS AGO!

This is not how you get an informed electorate. This is not how democracy is supposed to work. I am of the personal belief that John Kerry is the better man of the two for the job (not by a large margin, mind you), but I want that notion challenged. I want to hear a real explanation of why Bush thinks the Kerry tax cuts are pipe dreams. I want to hear what scary isolationist ideas Kerry is proposing to counter outsourcing. I want to hear this, and I deserve to hear it. But instead we get fed a steady diet of fluff and the American public gets more disenchanted and more turned off.

This is fucking bullshit and I'm ready to make a stand.

Bush's Newest Ad to Be Pulled?

According to today's NY Times, the USOC has threatened Bush-Cheney with a cease and desist for improperly using the Olympics in a campaign ad:

"'We haven't actually seen the ad, as we're in Greece,' said Darryl Seibel, a spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee. 'However, we're aware of the ad and today contacted the campaign. We're awaiting a reply.'

The re-election committee did not return a phone call from this newspaper. Its lawyers are being reminded that the brand name and concept of the Olympics belong to the International Olympic Committee in general and to the U.S.O.C. within the 50 states. "

COOL!

Stand up and holla!

You knew this campaign was going to be hilarious, but come on!

Princella Smith has won the GOP's Stand up and holla contest. And I just want to thank the GOP for scoring off the charts for unintentional comedy.

My personal favorite:

"Mad dash" and "fronts" were put in "quotations", as if to show that the GOP was "down" with the hip urban slang.

She must be so representative of the newmulticultural Republican Party!

Don't Cry for McGreevey

Please don't give me the sob story of James McGreevey. Let me tell you the story of McGreevey if he had been straight.

McGreevey hired a woman who had no qualifications to be his Homeland Security Advisor at $110,000 per year. She failed miserably and her shortcomings were obvious to everyone. After she left the position, she decided to sue McGreevey for sexual harassment. Do you think we would have seen that press conference yesterday?

For all the 'context' that McGreevey's being closeted may have added to the situation; there is a simple reality here: McGreevey used his position as a politician to get his boyfriend a job. That's all that is relevant here. He is a slimy politician.

In fact, I feel that he has done damage to the Gay cause here. He has put himself in a position where he would hope that the gay rights movement will come to his rescue. As such, he has undermined gay rights; by using his sexuality as an excuse for making himself a victim.

McGreevey is not the victim here. The victims are the residents of New Jersey, Democrats who will get blamed for him and the greater gay community which has one more black-eye from someone using their sexuality as an excuse for their philandering. For shame...

Fuck New York

So says a young Bush.

Indeed!

Bush's Brain

Can't wait for Bush's Brain to be released later this month. You should definitely check out one of the film's trailers. This is the story of Karl Rove's influence on the White House.

Now my one question is, if people think that Bush is dumb and that Karl Rove acts as Bush's brain; wouldn't that make Rove kind of dumb?

Any Graphic Designers out there up for a challenge?

Not sure if any of you know any graphic designers who'd be down to redesign my blog, or create a logo in exchange for a beer.

If you know someone who would be interested in doing it for fun, please let me know.

Thanks,

W

Mouth of the South

Ok, so I know why everyone is outraged over Eugenics-believer James Hart being the Republican nominee for Congress from TN's 8th district (he ran unopposed because the Republicans have given up on the seat).

I'm more concerned that the Mouth of the South will be wearing those bright jackets into Congress.

This is Awesome

This is fricking hilarious, a nod to Atrios for catching it.

Bush Insists His Administration Seeking 'new Ways to Harm Our Country'

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," Bush said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

People Against W

People Against W, Yeah it's just another stupid petition, but you can be one of the first to sign and that will be pretty cool as we watch the numbers soar.

I'm number 90.

How Kerry Should Handle the Terror Warnings

As Howard Dean said yesterday, I think it's obvious that even though the terror warnings are true, their release is suspicious enough to make one wonder whether they're politically motivated. That said, the bind that John Kerry finds himself in is that if he publicly questions these warnings, he'll appear as though he doesn't take these terror threats seriously (and let's not imagine what happens if they are accurate). On the other hand, when he doesn't respond, he allows the Bush campaign to take the wind out of his sails. So I suggest the following strategy:

Following up on his comments from the convention about Bush's incompetence, Kerry should make the question of politicized terror warnings an issue of Bush's competence. For example:

Reporter: Sen. Kerry, do you think the President is using terror warnings for political purposes?

Kerry: I don't think that even President Bush would be so irresponsible and reckless as to politicize intelligence again. We all saw what happened in Iraq, and I would hope that the President has learned a lesson there.

This emphasizes that Kerry sees Bush as a kid who has been acting like a kid while being the most powerful man in the free world.

Bush is a Flip-Flopper - Part Two

Last night's The Daily Show had Jon Stewart show a clip of the President yesterday saying 'We live in dangerous times' then followed it up with a clip from 2 weeks ago with Bush saying 'I've made this country safer'.

Hmmm, Flip-Flopper?

Bush is a Flip-Flopper

(With a tip of the hat to Atrios for the flip-flop statement), Froomkin's take on Bush's Nat'l Security approach:

"Bush's history with intelligence-related proposals includes more than a fair amount of nuance -- and some outright reversals.

First, the president resisted the creation of a Homeland Security department for months before enthusiastically championing the idea.

Then, he opposed the creation of the independent 9/11 commission itself. He said Congressional intelligence committees could handle any needed investigations.

Once Bush allowed the commission to form, his aides repeatedly fought its requests for witnesses and documents.

Finally, when the commission issued its report, his aides said he would not rush to accept its recommendations.

Now, 11 days later, he comes out with a qualified endorsement."

This nation demands a leader who stands on principles, not a Conservative Flip-Flopper who is well outside of the mainstream!

Monday Fun Day

If you have some time to waste today, you should check out:

-Will Ferrell as President Bush in Crawford at Whitehouse West.

-The new campaign by Crispin Porter + Bogusky for Burger King is out, the Angus Diet. The site is funny, as was their last site, Subservient Chicken. These guys are very creative and are really expanding the scope of viral advertising. The coolest thing about the Angus Diet? They don't want me email address!!! God bless smart advertising people.

Update 1: Just saw an ad for Dr Angus' Angus Diet on TV. Brilliant campaign. Tying in several aspects.

Update 2: Speaking of the Subservient Chicken, we also now have the Subservient President.

Advertising Abuse

I just saw two movies in the past 24 hours at the Loews theatre on East 86th Street and I will do whatever I can do to avoid going there again (I'm sure I won't be able to avoid going back there). THEY SHOWED 8 ADVERTISEMENTS BEFORE EACH FILM!!!

Is that what we pay $10.50 a flick for? If an advertiser wants to reach me in the theatre, then think like trailer makers. Give me interesting commercials, make them timely, and make them contextual. Why in the world should I be expected to watch Aqua Velva obnoxious, poorly produced commercials before Anchorman? What makes them think that I'm an ideal target?