---Dude & Country--- The Dude Abides

Condolences to the Raider Nation - Brooks makes his Raider debut

2006-09-12T02:33:00.000-04:00

Well, his offensive line and offensive coordinator didn't do him any favor's, but he looked like the same ol' AB to me. He still takes too long to make decisions, falls over at the slightest touch like a drunk man standing on a skate board, and still just shrugs off his miscues like he is just counting the minutes until he gets to "clock out" again and cash that paycheck.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh on the guy, but it is a shame to watch someone with all of the physical tools to be great, but none of the mental. I just feel sorry for raider fans. I know the feeling; it's like being really excited after getting a brand new sportscar with all of the buttons and whistle's, only to find out when you take it for a drive that there's nothing under the hood.

I have a feeling his welcome, if not worn out already, is on it's way. He used to always make backhanded comments on how tough the fans were on him in New Orleans. I have a feeling that the fans in Oakland are going to show him how tough fans can get when you don't perform on the field.

The dude's advice to the raiders: no matter how strong his arm is, how quick he is, or how spectacular he might look at times, it'll never add up to the mistakes and miscues he makes. Cut your losses and move on to plan B before it gets uglier.

-Dude out

FYI - Midterm election scorecard

2006-09-12T02:02:00.000-04:00

Slate.com has a great article from last friday with recent polling figures for the upcoming midterm races.

LINK:Slate.com

Mud Slinging - GOP to step up negative ads for upcoming elections

2006-09-12T01:32:00.000-04:00

With Republican candidates losing favor in many polls across the country, and sixty days left until pivotal house and senate elections, the republicans are reaching deep to hold their incumbents...........into the mud. They are fixing to spend 50 million dollars on ads meant to "define" opponents negatively. While this is nothing new, it does surprise me the candor that the GOP is showing while outwardly stooping as low as they are right now. And it is all due to the fact that their internal polling has alarmingly indicated that many of their incumbents are getting less than 45% of the vote.

It seems to me that maybe they should try on focusing on the problems with their own policies and promoting their superior vision and morality, like they have been since they harnessed the power of conservative Christian movement during the Reagan's rise to the presidency many years ago. But, with their backs against the wall, the party representing the supposed "moral majority" is reaching deep in dirt to do some ol' fashioned mudslinging. Be careful now GOP, some of that mud might end up on yourselves if you're not careful. Here's hoping so.....

- Dude out

LINK:Washington Post

Saints beat Browns - a few notables

2006-09-11T02:54:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like the saints could start proving "experts" wrong on a frequent basis this year. Although the end result wasn't all that impressive, and it was against a Browns team struggling to find its identity, the win did tell me a few things about this saints team that I don't think anyone expected:

- The saints defense isn't as bad as advertised. They did a great job stopping the run, and limited the Browns to 85yds rushing, most of which came by their QB on desperate scrambles (44yds). All in all the defense held them to under 200yds of total offense, which will be good enough for a win most weeks.

- I said before this game that it would be Marques Colston's coming out party. A seventh round draft pick out of HOFSTRA, this 6'1" 235lb athletic WR will be a name to remember as the season moves on. He is the reason why the saints were so willing to deal Donte Stallworth. His stats weren't spectacular (49yds rec ; 1 TD), but he made some key catches using his size that Stallworth doesn't make. Drew Brees loves big targets, and he is a sure-handed big target that is sure to be utilized more and more as this season progresses.

- Duece is back in form. A lot of attention will deservingly be placed on Reggie Bush, but Duece showed he is back to pro-bowl form. Duece and Reggie combined for over 150 yds rushing, and both averaged over 4yds a carry. The saints rushing attack will rank in the top 5 this year, mark it down.

- Our offensive line is pretty good. Brees was never sacked or really pressured for that matter. One overlooked player will be rookie guard Jahri Evans. He is a wonderful surprise and is dominating his side of the line. Again, this is something the sportscasting world will take a while to catch up with. They seem to think that our line stinks when they have actually been playing solid all through the pre-season and now into the first game of the regular season.

As always there were also a few areas that need some improvement:

- Pass coverage: CB Mike McKensie is still getting caught 5yds off the ball a bunch. Now I know CB's are supposed to keep plays in front of them, but he is taking that a little too far at the moment. On the bright side, our young safeties look like they are going to be solid.

- Drew Brees: He was a little off today. He botched a number of timing routes, doing WR Joe Horn a disservice on at least 3 plays. I know he isn't 100% yet, and it showed today. He should get better as the season goes on......

- Anyone know any good fullbacks? Both our starting fullback, Mike Karney, and backup (Keith Joseph) went down with injuries before the 2nd half. Hopefully one of them will be ready to go next week.

All in all, it was a game we statistically dominated, and dominated at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The score really doesn't show either. The saints need to work on the red zone offense and start putting up touchdowns instead of fieldgoals, and it will start to show on the scoreboard more too. Make no mistake, the team has a way to go to be contenders, but the writing on the wall is that they are going to get there sooner than later.

Oh yeah, that Reggie Bush kid is pretty good too..........

- Dude out

Fox fixes mistake - Fan gets truck

2006-09-08T13:54:00.000-04:00

Looks like the folks at fox finally did the right thing and gave catman a truck. I'm glad that they decided to do the right thing here, no matter how late the response, they still did right in the end. As much as I admittingly despise the network, thumbs up to Fox management recognizing the situation for what it was, and for reprimanding the folks who tactlessly went about the prank. Hopefully they'll do a little background check on the next person they pull a stunt on. Something tells me that won't be for quite a while......

LINK:Duped fan gets truck

Fox shows its class yet again - Fan cruely tricked by foxsports team

2006-09-08T03:01:00.000-04:00

File this one under plain cruel and tasteless. During the Panthers vs. Dolphin preseason game on Aug 24th, the foxsports team decided to play a cruel trick on one of the most famous and endearing panther fans. During the game they made special announcement that they were going to give a car away during the game. Well, to make a long story short, they ended giving a toy car to Greg Good aka "Catman". The problem is that they totally convinced this poor guy he was going to get a real car. To make things worse, the guy could really use a new car.

Let's have a quick profile of the man that they decided it was a good idea to trick: He is a 49 year old man with three kids whose job is a social worker of sorts working with troubled children for a mental health agency. His car: a 1991 Chevy Astro with over 130,000 miles on it. This poor guy could really use that car. What a bunch of shmucks!

So, you think they'll do the right thing in the end right? So far, the answer to that question is a resounding NO. All they offered the poor guy is an apology. Is there a lawyer in the house?

This aggression will not stand FOX!

-Dude out
LINK:Panther fan tricked by foxsports

It was only a matter of time - Roof escape hatches now being sold

2006-09-08T02:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess it is a sign of the times we live in the gulf south. Bound to happen sooner than later, a local inventor/roofer has now started fabricating and installing sheet metal escape hatches on residential houses. Evidentially, these hatches meet standards for "roof accessories". Look for these "accessories" across the gulf corridor.

At least this is a case of a local entrepreneur ceasing an opportunity from Katrina's aftermath vs. the thousands of outside companies and contractors exporting our rebuilding dollars outside of the state. But, that is a topic for another rant on another day............

Dude out

LINK: :Home roof hatch

NO Revival - Saints Nearly Sell Out Season Tickets

2006-09-08T02:17:00.000-04:00

Now we saints fans catch a lot of flack from other folks around the country due to our lack of success over the years, but one thing is for sure: saints fans are the most tested, loyal, and prideful fans in the NFL. Through thick and thin we stick with our team, and after one of the most devestating natural disasters in our country's history, we have now set a record for season tickets sold at over 65K.

After all of the drama surrounding the team last year regarding relocation to San Antonio, a dismal 3 win season, and more questions than answers surrounding the team in general, the fans have stepped it up again at a time where fans have precious little to give.

And for the large part it goes unoticed in the national media, both sports and mainstream news alike. To me it is a powerful gesture of hope and renewed spirit in the city and surrounding area that his been kicked down time and time again. Wanna know if New Orleans has the character and will to come back stronger and better than ever? Look no further than the Superdome on Sundays, especially on Sept 25th for a historical Monday night when New Orleans will make its voice heard en masse. You might want to keep your eye on a guy named Reggie...............

Link: Saints close to sell out for season

My new Idol

2006-09-06T03:07:00.000-04:00

What possibly could be better than the self deluded bumbling fools that attract more Americans to vote than a presidential election? Well, British ones of course!

Behold:
England's Emenim

I want to propose an all-white rap group comprised of the following members: Vanilla Ice, Kevin Federline, Snow, Mark Wahlberg, and the dude in the video above. I'll dub them the "Lima Beans" as an homage to the Black Eyed Peas. We'll make millions I tell ya, millions! Call me dog!

-Dude out

The dude revives

2006-09-06T02:26:00.000-04:00

The dude now awakens from a long haitus. Rattled and washed out by Katrina, and weary of all work and no bowling, the dude returns to the blogoshpere. (I apologize to all of my former english teachers for the following switch from 3rd to 1st person)

Now that I have a bit more time, hopefully I'll be able to post here a bit more regularly and share the occasional thought (they do happen), frustrations, news, odd's & inn's, and maybe I can muster some humor somewhere in here. Those who stumble upon here I hope find something endearing to occupy your time........if not it's really big here in cyberspace. REALLY BIG. Move on

- Dude out

WTF?

2005-04-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

Back from travel now, so I should be able to post a little more regularly. Just thought I'd share this weird little tidbit I've run across on Amazon.com. It is the Badonkadonk Tank/Landcruiser, available now for $19,999.95!!!!! The customer reviews are priceless.....enjoy!! More later...dude out

Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/miscellaneous/B00067F1CE/qid=1113868532/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/002-5137531-9281637

Weird fish wash up in wake of tsunami

2005-04-13T20:15:00.000-04:00

Turns out the title is not the case, but these images are still fascinating. They are pictures of various deep sea creatures, not necessarily washed up by the tsunami. Nevertheless, they are great reminders of how little we know and understand the organisms and ecosystems beneath the ground and water. These deep sea organisms are just glimpse of what strange creatures the deep ocean habitats hold in the darkness.

Link: http://whp.4saken.org/img/tsunami_pics/tsunami_deep_sea_fish/

Traveling Dude......Timshel come back!!!!!!!!!!

2005-04-13T19:55:00.000-04:00

No I haven't quit blogging again, I've just gotten over some much enjoyed family visitation and am now on travel in the great state of Alabama. I'm sorry to say that I can't say the same for my good blogging buddy Ricky Prado and his blog Timshel. Seems that Ricky is hanging it up until he has a little more spare time to devote to blogging. Well there goes my source of LA political updates! On a more personal note, Ricky is a good friend of mine from back in the "gret stet" that I grew up in, and I will miss being able to view his thoughts on a regular basis. Well, back to blogging....which will be intermittent while I'm in AL.

It was only a matter of time.......Jesse Jackson joins fight to save Terri Schiavo

2005-03-29T15:09:00.000-05:00

Well, the circus that has become Terri Schiavo and her family, has come to its pinnacle. Rev. Jesse Jackson has offered his support in the effort to reinsert the feeding tube that was artificially keeping a terminally braindamaged and non-cognitive Terri Schaivo alive. Although it is not a surprise to see the civil-rights leader side with Schiavo's parents, being that he is Jesse Jackson, it is a surprise to see how much he really doesn't understand the situation:

In his statement, Jackson added, "a consistent moral and ethical position would extend a feeding tube to all who are confronted with starvation -- to demand public, government policy to feed the hungry."

This begs the question: Is Terri Schiavo hungry? She certainly has no way of expressing it. This probably has something to do with the fact that she is braindead, and not concious of her surroundings or self. This is the consensus of the medical community which has looked at this case over and over again. Why is it so bad to let someone die a natural death Jesse? Many people die in this fashion peacefully, it is the way that a good deal of us will pass away. Why not let her pass on to a better life in the thereafter? It is what naturally would have happened long ago. Why do some of us who feel so strongly about our religious beliefs, struggle so mightily to stay God's hand? For the love of God, let this poor woman die in peace.

Link: CNN.com

Dude, that's funny!!!!!!

2005-03-28T15:04:00.000-05:00

Treat yourself and click on the link below. You might want to head to the bathroom first, because if you like toliet humor, this one is uncontrollabley hillarious. Dudes and Dudettes, I present to you:

The Farting Televangist

What a sh*tty way to die...

2005-03-28T11:54:00.000-05:00

Now on my list for ways I don't want to die: buried alive under 8 tons of manure. Some poor tractor operator in the Czech city of Karlovy Vary was somehow buried under 8 tons of manure. Two questions:

How does one operate a hydrolic dump bed from the cabin of one's truck, and then manage to position himself behind it at the same time?
What kind of manure was it?

Besides, a dump bed dumps so slowly he must have injured himself or gotten stuck behind the truck somehow. One more question: Why am I thinking about this so much?

Link: Yahoo.com

Dude, it's just a soccer game.....

2005-03-28T11:14:00.000-05:00

That is what I have to say to Mexican football fans. During their world cup qualifier defeat of the US national team, mexican football fans acted about as classless as they possibly could. Some of their in-game activities included: booing the star-spangled banner, chanting "Osama" after our one and only goal, and trampling US flags. All because we defeated them at the last world cup. I know football is THE sport in Mexico, and a vehicle of great national pride for them, but the actions of those fans were simply babaric. I can't imagine what they would have done if they lost again.

As for the American team, they cannot play that conservative and expect to win against a side like Mexico. They played two forwards, who played about as sluggish as I've ever seen them, and 5 halfbacks who stayed behind center line most of the game. We also need some leadership in the backfield. I expected better play out of the likes of Masteroni and Bocanegra. In the end, maybe the thin air (Azteca Stadium lies over 7,000ft in the air) had a lot to do with their sluggish play, but I hope it changes their intitial gameplan for the next time they meet. Next up, another qualifier match with Guatemala on Tuesday.

Spongebob Move Aside.........Here Comes Gene Simmons?

2005-03-25T12:16:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's right, Gene Simmons has made his natural progression from rock sex god to cartoon character. The folks over at Nickelodeon had the vision to put Gene Simmons persona into a cartoon series. Evidentially, the show is centered around a 12yr old boy whose dad's occupation is a rock star, appropriately named Rock-Zilla. He even seems to sport a long toungue much like his muse. Personally, I can't wait for the episode where little Willy catches his dad on the couch with a few playboy bunnies with mom taping all the action. Now that's great TV! But if I were Spongebob, I wouldn't be shriveling up just yet, I somehow doubt it will garner the square ones level of popularity. Plus, can Rock-Zilla use karate skills to make crabby patties? I think not......

Link: CNN.com

A Sliver of Politcal Hope

2005-03-25T11:33:00.000-05:00

Is there any law or piece of legislation so inherently unconstitutional that it could bring together the likes of The Amercian Civil Liberties Union, The American Conservative Union, Americans For Tax Reform, and the Free Congress Foundation. How about the USA Patriot Act? Yep, that's right, right and left come together to question the constitutionality of this invasive law. I know this is no suprise to anyone, but it is still great to see conservative and liberal groups come together to lobby congress to take a hard look at this law. The obvious anwser will be that there are portions of this act are blatantly unconstitutional and should be removed. With all of these fuzzy feelings between party groups, surely the president and his cabinet are in agreement to at least the premise of their vision.....right?

Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose powers the law has greatly expanded, have called for the act's renewal. Gonzales has suggested that provisions expanding the government's surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates, and financiers should be strengthened.

"Debate about government exercise of powers that might infringe upon privacy or civil liberties, I think that's an appropriate debate," Gonzales told a recent meeting of the National Association of Counties. "But it's got to be a real debate, one based on facts. And I've yet to hear a strong argument as to why the Patriot Act should not be reauthorized."

Oh well, I said sliver of hope......

Link: Yahoo.com

Duder's Tunes - What I'm listening to now

2005-03-24T14:50:00.000-05:00

Since there isn't an abundance of interesting news right now, I wanted to pass on a few thing I'm listening to now that might be worth a listen. Or not. Do with this what you will....What else am I supposed to do? Work?

Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache
This album came out in May 2004, but I must confess I had not even heard of these guys until this year. I'm glad I did, because they are one of the best metal bands I've heard in a very long time. "End of Heartache" is the song that got me hooked, but the whole album is outstanding.

The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
I know I've mentioned them here before, but the new album is out and is certainly worth the money. These guys are just brilliant, plain and simple.

A Perfect Circle - eMotivE
Anything Manyrd touches is gold in my mind. His music is getting better and better with both of his bands.

Rise Against - Siren Song of the Counter Culture
Rage Against the Machine gone punk. Not an amazing album by any means, but it is decent, and I like the messages.

Pedro the Lion - Control
I really like these guys, really great music. This is my favorite album by them, although they do have a more recent release.

Tom DeLay.....somehow finds the balls compare himself to Terri Shiavo

2005-03-24T13:18:00.000-05:00

Wow! Just when you think that Washington was done using Terri Shiavo as their political ragdoll, here comes our moral majority leader with what has to be the most asinine(sp?actual word?)statement I've heard in a while.

"It is more than just Terri Schiavo. This is a critical issue for people in this position, and it is also a critical issue to fight that fight for life, whether it be euthanasia or abortion. I tell you, ladies and gentlemen, one thing God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo to elevate the visibility of what's going on in America. That Americans would be so barbaric as to pull a feeding tube out of a person that is lucid and starve them to death for two weeks. I mean, in America that's going to happen if we don't win this fight."

That's just an excerpt from what this idiot was blathering about in front of a gathering for the Family Research Council in Washington. He went on defend the poor conservative Christian movement that is being suppressed by "the man" i.e. liberal media. The irony here is sickening. But who's to argue with the man when Jesus himself is on his side:

"That law we're trying to repeal. It's very difficult to do that, but the point is, when they can knock out a leader, then no other leader will step forward for a while, because they don't want to go through the same thing. If they go after and get a pastor, then other pastors shrink from what they should be doing. It forces Christians back into the church. That's what's going on in America. The world is too bad and I'm going to get inside this building and I'm not going to play in the world. That's not what Christ asked us to do."

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and bet Christ wouldn't want us dangling a long-dying woman's right to a peaceful, natural passage for your own political gain. I mean, I apparently don't have the buddy-buddy relationship with Jesus that the likes of GW and Tommy boy do, but I do have an idea of what good Christian ideals are. Since when is dying a natural death such a bad thing anyway? Maybe I'll call Tom and ask him to talk to Jesus about it......

Link: Time.com

Chiming in on ANWR

2005-03-23T18:35:00.000-05:00

I know it is a bit of old news, but I thought I would give my thoughts on the opening up of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration and drilling since I consider myself an environmentalist of sorts.

I like to look at all situations like this with traditional cost/benefit analysis, so let's look at this situation logically. So, what are we to gain out of this situation? The USGS's best estimate is that we'll gain 3.2 billion barrel's of recoverable oil from the area designated as 1002, which is the 1.5 million acre proposed area for drilling(What they won't tell you is that the bill also opens up the rest of the refuge area for future exploration). What does that translate to? It will supply 3-6% of the current ANNUAL use of oil in this country, depending on the futures market, which is what really determines the price of oil. Not to mention it will take 6-10yrs before we see a drop of it at all. What does that translate to consumer prices of oil? Nada, zilch, none. You and I won't derive any benefits directly. So, what are the benefits? Well, the GOP would argue that ANWR activities would create somewhere b/t 250,000 and 750,000 jobs. That is good, but that number is over a decade old and is waaay overestimated. They would also argue that it is a step in the direction of oil independence, which is complete BS. We import about 20% of our oil from the Middle East. About half of that comes from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the other 10% from other Gulf states. Most of the remainder of our imported comes from this hemisphere, particularly Canada and Venezuela. So, we don't see the difference in the marketplace or in significant volumes.

Obviously by now you can guess I'm completely against this bit of legislation. Why? First off, like I stated earlier, there will be no significant effect on the price of oil or our dependence on imports. There is also the obvious envrionmental impacts associated with the drilling process. You see, the USGS found that oil in the refuge isn't concentrated in a single, large reservoir. It's spread across the coastal plain in more than 30 small deposits, which would require vast networks of roads and pipelines that would fragment the habitat, disturbing and displacing wildlife. There will be billions of dollars worth of damage that will take generations to recover, that is just the facts when you actually commodify the natural resources in the area. Just another example of oil companies being allowed to externalize costs. On top of all this, they have the audacity to produce an EIS (Environment Impact Statement) produced in 1987.....1987!

The bottom line is that this entire process is just a political statement at best, putting more money into the oil lobbyist pocket. Yeah big oil! Yes, there will be an influx of new jobs associated with ANWR drilling activities, but at what cost? Aren't there better areas to explore at this time. Sure there are! And truth of it all is we can get all the new oil we want where we want, but the price of oil will not change until we increase our refining capacity......period. Alternative energy anyone? Not under this administration....dude out

Here is a great non-biased look at the ANWR situation: Link

The dude blogs again....and knows the difference b/t Rumsfield and Ashcroft

2005-03-23T18:19:00.000-05:00

What a great way to leave a stagnant blog, with your last post confusing Ashcroft and Rumsfield. Well I've fixed the obvious error; not that it is a relevant post anymore.....

Anyway, after a long sebaticle, the dude returns to the blogosphere. I don't want to get into my personal reasons for the long hiatus, because like my good friend Mr. Prado I don't think that this is the place for them. But, allow me to give a very sincere F'U to my former business partner, who decided to flush a years worth of hard work down the toliet around christmas time. Karma has already caught up to this scrooge of sorts, and so the dude moves on to greener business pastures.

So, now with my personal life back in order, the dude posts again......after all, the dude abides.

Can Rumsfield take a hint? Sen. Trent Lott calls for Rumsfield head

2004-12-16T18:51:00.000-05:00

His fellow republicans seem to be coming out of the woodworks against him now. The other day, Sen. John McCain was calling for his head, and now Trent Lott is firing off against him. At this point, I am wondering who in hell actually supports this guy besides GWB. It's kind of funny how a little thing like a soldier pointing out the obvious at a news conference to him can affect the way his pals in the GOP think about him. The wolves are out now, and his head is being called for. I love how he acts like the issue of Rumsfield (and Bush is just as guilty) not listening to his military advisors is now coming to his attention all of a sudden:

"I'm not a fan of Secretary Rumsfeld," Lott, R-Mississippi, told the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning. "I don't think he listens enough to his uniformed officers."

Yeah, I don't either. Let's see how Mr. Lott reacted to this same line of questioning back in October of 2003 when interviewed by CNN's Paula Zahn:

ZAHN: But you raised the critical question of the right mix of forces. And you really mentioned the need for more M.P.s. I have been in e-mail contact with the mother of a tank commander whose son now is an M.P. And she describes an excruciating detail a kid she says that is no more trained to do that than any other 100 jobs that he hasn't been trained to do. He goes door to door doing searches.And there are some 40,000 soldiers in Iraq lacking the heavy-duty armor they need. How is that happening? Why is that happening?

LOTT: First, most of our troops are dual-trained. They are capable of doing more than one assignment. And from what I have seen of tank commanders, they are usually very capable men and women that can do almost anything with just a little bit of information. We certainly need to make sure they have the equipment they need. And the money that we just are in the process of passing through the Congress that's already passed the House and Senate would provide more funds for things like better-enforced Humvees, I guess better protection jackets.

Well, its a good thing that Mr. Lott was so aware of the problems of our soldiers in Iraq that he was taking care of them back in 2003. Otherwise, we might have soldiers that don't have the proper equipment that they derserve. He of course went on in that interview to defend Rumsfields plan of action in Iraq and the same ol "we're doing better than you think in Iraq" speech that we have heard so often by the right over the past year. Just another case of the rabid GOP dogs turning on eachother...But, make no mistake Mr. Lott is NOT calling officially for Mr. Rumsfields resignation, he would just like to see him go away:

"I would like to see a change in that slot in the next year or so," Lott said. "I'm not calling for his resignation, but I think we do need a change at some point."

What a chickenshit statement! I don't want him to "resign", but I don't think he is doing his job. Whatever, dude.......

Link: TheSunHerald.com

Alabama Judge wears robe with Ten Commandments

2004-12-16T18:38:00.000-05:00

Another crazed case of religous extremism in the court system in Alabama. The judge, Ashley McKathan, states that the robe is appropriate for his courtroom because it represents the truth stating, "you can't divorce the law from the truth. ... The Ten Commandments can help a judge know the difference between right and wrong." Right and wrong are one thing, and the Ten Commandments are undoubtely a representation of that, but it is not a court of moral truth, it is a court of law. The last time I checked, our laws are not based on the ten commandments. Just another crazy judge looking for a little publicity in Alabama......

Link: YahooNews.com

A cure for HIV/AIDS?

2004-12-14T22:42:00.000-05:00

Rutgers and Johnson and Johnson may have the answer. The drug is made of DAPYs (diarylpyrimidines), which are a form of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. They inhibit the effectiveness of the enzyme reverse transcriptase from taking effect in infected cells. They explain very vaugely that it does this by "mimicking" of some sort. My guess would be that it mimics the shape of the vRNA and acts as a dummy for the reverse transcriptase to take effect on instead of your normal healthy RNA, stopping the retrovirus dead in its tracks. This is basically how the other reverse transcriptase inhibitors work, but with less than perfect results. The difference is that more conventional inhibitors, nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), mimic your cells healthy nucleosides so when reverse transcriptase occurs, the enzyme pairs the dummy nucleosides with the vRNA forming incomplete bonds which prevent it from forming the proviral DNA it needs to keep surviving and replicating. The problem with these is that since the NRTIs resemble healthy nucleotides, they have the potential to disrupt normal DNA replication in your cells. Mitochondrial DNA has been shown to be damaged by these classes of drugs, and as a result significant hemetalogical side effects have occured. There is your biology lesson for the day.

The bottom line is that this new developed class of drugs has a much better chance of stopping the retrovirus (HIV) in its tracks with minimal side effects due to its superior mechanism of inhibition. Could this be the beggining of the cure? It sure looks promising on paper.....

Link: TheGlobeandMail.com

Costa Rica: Taxi driver shoots man in Bin Laden Mask

2004-12-14T17:13:00.000-05:00

Evidentially, some idiot was running out scaring cars with a Bin Laden mask on and a pellet gun in tow. Well, he startled the wrong guy during his prank and a taxi driver pulled out a gun and shot him in the stomach. What did that idiot think would happen wielding a fake gun around like that? I don't care if he had a Winnie the Pooh mask on, someone still was destined to shoot his dumb ass anyway. Oh well, the prankster will have plenty of time to think about it while they are sewing his stomach back up......What an idiot!

Link: YahooNews.com

Environment: The more guys who think like this the better

2004-12-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

The article linked to below is about William McDonough, a sustainable engineer, who's famous (and sometimes infamous) work is on the forefront of progressive design in a number of arena's. The principles he uses, mainly eco-industrial design, are not entirely new but his over-the-top approach and catchy phrases have captured the attention of many people. The more people he can turn on to holistic design strategies the better, no matter the tactics in my opinion. Anyway, it outlines some of his work and philosophic outlooks on the world of design principles. It's a good read on an inspirational man. I love his use of language to change the way we think.........take a read:

Link: ENN.com

Duder's Movie Update

2004-12-14T14:48:00.000-05:00

I just checked out the new Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie trailer, and I thought I'd post it here in case you haven't seen it yet. It looks like a typical Tim Burton film....wierd and colorful, and will probably be great. Johnny Depp has a lot to live up to, but should put on a great performance as always......

The new Batman Begins trailer is out also, and you can view it here. Looks like a typical character building movie, which probably will spend as much time on him training to become batman as it does him being batman if not more. Still, it looks interesting and it may bring some intrest back into the batman franchise that was tarnished by director Joel Schumacher.

Also, you should be looking for production on an Iron Man (Marvel) movie to be announced soon. Rumors are that Tom Cruise is intrested in playing Tony Stark, the man under the metal superhero's armour. Nick Cassavetes is slated to produce the New Line Cinema production. The tenative release date is the Summer of 2005. For more news on the dozens of comic movies in the works, go to comicbookmovie.com

Dude out....

Rev. Falwell "invigorated" by 2004 elections

2004-12-13T13:58:00.000-05:00

Great news for the fundamentalist psycho's (aka evangilists), that were lobbying hard for GWB to get back in office. Looks like he is already starting his work on getting another social conservative into office in 2008. It's good to also see he is still finding time to spread the word of god, for a price of course. As a matter of fact, you can still sign up to cruise with Jerry Fawell from London to New York City. For starting at $3k, you get gourmet dining on the Queen Mary 2, inspirational seminars at sea, guided tours, parties, spa treatments, and...the word of god. Who could pass up such inspirational lectures such as: "Ten Steps to Personal Victory" and "The Passion of Christ and How Near is Armageddon". Sign up by visiting Falwell.com , where you can also sign up for the Liberty Home Bible institute (a steal at $1,250.00) or even sign up for Gift Annuity at LUF with returns up to 11.3%! What a guy!

Link: Foxnews.com

RIP Dimebag Darrell

2004-12-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

The metal guitar genius passed away Wednesday night when some nutcase ran up on stage during his new bands', DamagePlan, concert performance and starting shooting random people. While he was surely "a cowboy from hell" here on earth, he is sure to be in heaven now. By all indications I have seen, he was a great guy and cared very much for his bandmates and fans. He also happened to make some kickass metal music. Rest in peace Dimebag, and thanks for the music and memories......

Dude, That is Deep.....

2004-12-09T20:18:00.000-05:00

Well, a graduate student with a lot of uhmm "time" and "imagination" on his hands has taken the liberty to publish his research into the root meanings of the word "Dude". He contends that it is not just a word for surfers, teenagers, slackers, Lebowski's, and Keanu Reeves. Here is what the scholar himself has to say about the power and meaning of "Dude":

Kiesling says in the fall edition of American Speech that the word derives its power from something he calls cool solidarity — an effortless kinship that’s not too intimate.
Cool solidarity is especially important to young men who are under social pressure to be close with other young men, but not enough to be suspected as gay.

Cool solidarity, I like the sound of that. And, that would explain the dude's aggression towards the video artist. And it kind of explains the demeanor of Keanu Reeves....cool solidarity....whoa dude!

One more quote:
An admitted dude-user during his college years, Scott Kiesling said the four-letter word has many uses

Dude-user huh! Something tells me that "Dude" wasn't the only thing he was using during his college years..

"Dude" out man.........(pluetonically)

Link: MSNBC.com

Afraid to Travel Internationally? Travel Canadian!

2004-12-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

That is what the folks at T-shirtKing.com are suggesting you do. Due to the broad expansion of anti-Americanism, the crafty company has put together a package of Canadian masking items for the American international traveler. For $24.95 you get: a Canadian flag T-shirt, a Canadian flag lapel pin, a Canadian patch for luggage or a backpack, and a quick reference guide on how to speak Canadian. You see? GWB's, economic and foreign policy is working great! By spreading American hatred across the globe, he is creating an entire new market niche surrounding products that take advantage of the anti-American sentiment around the world! You see, those newer higher paying jobs that replace the outsourced ones are going to be in this marketplace. Surely T-ShirtKing.com needs tech support for their booming online orders. We could see a manufacturing boom in US made Canadian products! T-ShirtKing.com is surely just the beginning...

Seriously, check out the article. It is pretty darn funny. I love the president of the company already...check out this quote:
"It's not meant as a slight against the United States or Canada," explained T-shirtKing.com President Bill Broadbent. "It was meant as something Republicans could give their Democrat friends to say 'C'est la vie.' ... But maybe not c'est la vie because that's a French word."

Rock on, T-ShirtKing.com....

Link: CNN.com

Snowball fight!!!!!!

2004-12-07T19:35:00.000-05:00

Maybe this could be the game of the week over at Timshel. It is pretty darn fun to play, and you challenge other people on the net. It is just good old fashioned snowball fighting against another user of your choice. It is at, of all places, DiscoverCard.com. Oh well, props to the Discover Card people for making a pretty cool game for the holiday season. Nothing sparks the holiday spirit like a good ol' fashioned snowball fight. So, invite a friend to take you on or challenge other user's across the country and get your snowball on.

Link: DiscoverCard.com (click on Holiday game)

Back to Blogging

2004-12-07T19:17:00.000-05:00

Man, Christmas can not come soon enough.........It's hard to get in a post lately, as you can tell, but I should be able to post semi-regularly for the foreseeable future. I'm in the process of getting all the pic's back up too, as my former web hosting service kicked me off for using them for strictly file storage. Oh well, I guess that is why they ask you to read the terms and conditions before signing up. Who ever does anyway? Boy, you could probably get someone to practically sign their lives away by having them check off that little box saying "I Agree with Terms and Conditions". They are always like a mile long, and who ever really reads them? Don't get any ideas boys and girls, it's strictly an observation..........

Ron Artest is a few french fries, main entree, and drink short of a happy meal

2004-12-01T19:53:00.000-05:00

This only proves it further. Evidentially the guy, when playing for the Chicago Bulls one offseason, applied for a job at Circut City so he could get a discount off of some electronics purchases. Wow, I am speechless. I wonder why I never heard or read about this before. Anyway, this guy is either clinically insane or unbelievably stupid. Probably both. Click on the link to read a pretty funny article regarding Mr. Artest and his strange M.O. It's a couple of weeks old, but worth the read.

Link: Bullysports.com

Contemporary Dining..........Cereal restaurants?

2004-12-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, this seems to be a serious dining trend around some college campuses around the country. The Ceareality Cereal Bar and Cafe is evidentially cornering the market and doing quite well around some college campuses already, which house their targeted customers. Their servers are in dressed in PJ's and the tables are surrounded by comfy couches. An elaborate setting for such dining delights as Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, and Cap'n Crunch. And, to "kick it up a notch" you do get to choose just about any fresh fruit topping you want. Oh wait, it doesn't end there, you also get to mix cereals together for you're own "custom" cereal delight. GENIUS! What a concept! These guys are making money off of serving cereal. More power to them. But, I can't help but wonder why anyone would go to a "sit down" place for cereal you can get at the local supermarket. Can you imagine saying to yourself, "Well there is nothing to eat at the house, so let's go out for some cereal?" I couldn't. I also wonder if they have an actual chef overseeing the operation. I mean, do you really need one to pour milk in cereal?

Link: LexingtonHeraldLeader.com
See the madness for yourself: Cereality.com

9/11 Pentagon Crash Conspiracy Theory Flash Animation

2004-12-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big believer or subscriber to most conspiracy theories, because 99% of them are pure garbage, but I do like reading about them. This one is an old one about the 9/11 Pentagon crash not being caused by a 767, but some other smaller plane or missle. Sure, they forget to cover the minor facts such as plane full of passengers and their whereabouts. But, it is entertaining at the least, and makes you think a little. If nothing else, it is put together well despite the major holes in their argument. But, you've got to love a good conspiracy theory.......

Check it out: http://thunderbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/09/15325_comment.php

Harvard gets punked....

2004-11-30T23:50:00.000-05:00

Although I like neither institution, a few Yale students pulled a classic one on a group of Harvard students at a recent football game. Disguised as Harvard Pep Squad members, they passed out signs that they said would read when held together "Go Harvard". Well, needless to say they didn't come together to spell that exactly. When the eager Harvard students held the signs together proudly, they actually formed to read "We Suck". Way to go Yale. Good to see mommy and daddy's money going to good use. Here is a pic of the punked brats:

Link: JuiceNewsDaily.com

For Fellow Comic Geeks: Fantastic Four Movie Photos

2004-11-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

I am surely glad that the new FF4 movie is coming out this July, but I can't help but question some of the casting calls on this one. The most disappointing ones are that of Mr. Fantastic and The Human Torch. Mr. Fantastic clearly looks younger than The Human Torch, and in my book that is a no-no. Johnny Storm (aka. Human Torch) was always the younger wild haired kid in the books. On the bright side, the Thing looks better than I thought, and Victor Von Doom is well cast and dressed as Dr. Doom. I still can't wait for it to come out, I just wish they would have kept the appearances of the characters the same as they did with the X-Men flicks. Here are a few photos of the movie characters in question along with their comic book counterparts:

Mr. Fantastic

The Human Torch

The Thing

They did a behind the scenes writeup on the movie at MTV.com , check it out if you want to see more pics....

The House of Republican Representatives

2004-11-29T14:01:00.000-05:00

That is what we should start calling it, and with good cause. Speaker Dennis Hastert expressed his new policy last week in which Congress will pass bills only if most House Republicans back them. By definition this totally throws most bipartisan backed bills out of the window. It will also sway moderate republicans to vote with their more extreme right wing counterparts. Although this comes as no surprise, it is still kind of shocking to read how blatant they are going about their right wing business in print. Well, the majority of the majority now rule. There have already been instances of these exclusionary tactics to date, and a couple of examples were given in the article:

Some scholars say Hastert's decision should not come as a surprise. In a little-noticed speech in the Capitol a year ago, Hastert said one of his principles as speaker is "to please the majority of the majority."

"On occasion, a particular issue might excite a majority made up mostly of the minority," he continued. "Campaign finance is a particularly good example of this phenomenon. The job of speaker is not to expedite legislation that runs counter to the wishes of the majority of his majority."

Hastert put his principle into practice one week ago today. In a closed meeting in the Capitol basement, he urged his GOP colleagues to back the intelligence bill that had emerged from long House-Senate negotiations and had President Bush's support. When a surprising number refused, Hastert elected to keep it from reaching a vote, even though his aides said it could have passed with a minority of GOP members and strong support from the chamber's 206 Democrats.

Hooray for bipartisan politics! Ugh…..

Link: MSNBC.com

Saints - Week 12 Analysis vs Falcons

2004-11-26T19:08:00.000-05:00

Vegas: Falcons by 91/2 pts (ouch!)

Team Rankings:
SAINTS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 89.1 yards per game (28th in NFL); Passing Offense - 239.6 ypg (8th); Total Offense - 328.7 ypg (14th). Rushing Defense - 150.6 ypg (32nd); Passing Defense - 269.9 ypg (32nd); Total Defense - 420.5 ypg (32nd).

FALCONS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 160.3 yards per game (2nd); Passing Offense - 152.6 ypg (30th); Total Offense - 312.9 ypg (20th). Rushing Defense - 97.3 ypg (4th); Passing Defense - 238.8 ypg (28th); Total Defense - 336.1 ypg (20th).

Injury Report:
SAINTS
DOUBTFUL: WR Michael Lewis (Ankle) OLB Derrick Rodgers (Back)
QUESTIONABLE: SS Steve Gleason (Hamstring) G Kendyl Jacox (Knee) CB Mike McKenzie (Knee)

FALCONS
QUESTIONABLE: FB Justin Griffith (Knee)
PROBABLE: DE Brady Smith (Ankle)

Duder's Keys to Victory
- DON'T GET DOWN EARLY!- This totally goes against their M.O. as of late, but the saints must find a way to score early so they can execute their gameplan and control the tempo of the game. Too many games now has Duece been neutralized in effectiveness by getting down big early and often. We have got to change that to have a chance.

- PROTECT BROOKS - We must protect Aaron better, especially with his decision making under pressure. He just doesn't make good decisions under pressure, plain and simple. It isn't all his fault though, b/c the poor guy has been getting bum rushed all season. Our O line has to pick up their play, especially with Brady Smith returning to an aggressive Atlanta front 4.

- STOP THE RUN- We must stop Warrick Dunn and make the Falcons a passing team to win. If the Falcons are able to run on us it opens the playbook wide open for the Falcons, and makes Vick all the more dangerous with his legs against a defense that is on its heels.

- CONTAIN VICK - The saints have good tape to look at this week to see how to do it. The Giants did an outstanding job of containing him, even though they came up short last week. They did it with blitzes, but controlled blitzes to where the DE's stayed "home" to contain him. Hopefully this strategy will be repeated this week. If we can stop the run.........

Players to watch
CB Mike McKenzie - If he returns to action this week, and hopefully he will, he should be able to neutralize WR Price. He was a big difference maker against the Chiefs, and should turn out to have the same kind of impact if he plays Sunday.

TE Alge Crumpler - TE's have been killing us all season, and we're up against another elite TE again this week. Of anybody on this team, he scares me the most. If there is a big play in the passing game coming from the falcons, he will most likely be on the recieving end of it.

QB Aaron Brooks - Look for him to get his "A" game on against his cousin. He was a big part in the debacle last week, and the dude can't help but think he will try and redeem himself this week.

WR Donte Stallworth - He had a great game last week despite dropping a crucial deep ball towards the end. Can he replicate that performance and finally punch one in for 6? Here is hoping so.......

Bold Prediction: Saints 28 Falcons 23

Altruism at its finest....and most tragic

2004-11-26T18:46:00.000-05:00

In college, the most common reference of an example of altruism is the scenario of a soilder falling on a grenade to protect his fellow soldiers. Sadly, this example became reality yet again on the battlefield in Fallujah. Sgt. Rafael Peralta made the ultimate sacrifice for his fellow men and soldiers when, after being wounded in the face by enemy fire, spotted a fragmentation grenade where they were dug in and cradled it into his body. This deadly embrace saved the rest of his assault team and reminds us all what true valor and self sacrifice exists in all of us, and is expressed by a precious few. It is shame that he had to make it in such a way, on such an occasion, and in that place........

Link: The Seattle Times

Economic Armageddon?

2004-11-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

That is what Stephen Roach, the chief economist at investment banking giant Morgan Stanley, is predicting. The article about his findings and presentations is grim to say the least. I know that it is becoming clear as of late to most of us that the US economy is losing ground in an ever more alarming rate as time goes on. But this guys economic forecast is plain ugly. He states the clear observation that we are stuck in a record trade deficit with no sign of being able to dig ourselves out. He observes that in order to dig ourselves out of debt with the rest of the world, America must import 2.6 billion dollars......A DAY! According to the article that is 80% of the worlds net savings. What does it mean for you and me? Well, first off it means that inflation is going to go through the roof under this scenario, and the writing on the wall is already starting to point in that direction. Intrest rates and lending institutions are the most at risk. Folks, the debt bubble might burst sooner than we think. One thing is for sure, the US dollar is taking a nosedive worldwide, and it might leave an economic disaster in its wake.......They do point out a solution, which would be to let the dollar slump and letting rising inflation rates whittle away at Americans debt by falling currency values. Is that the best we can do? I hope not.......

Link: BostonHerald.com

Saints - Saints lay another egg against Broncos, Benson disgusted

2004-11-21T19:52:00.000-05:00

Well folks, the saints shot themselves in the foot in every way possible today. It started off ugly with an inept opening drive and giving up a touchdown on the Broncos first play of the game. It was pretty much downhill from there, with the saints flirting with getting back into the game from time to time only to shoot themselves in the foot again. Brooks was horrible when pressured (which was pretty much all game), Stallworth played well but missed a game turning catch, Duece was rendered useless by the score, and our defense stunk as usual. And all of our division rivals won today. We now sit third in the division with even the Panthers only one game behind us. The chopping block might be coming down on Haslett sooner than later. Don't think so? Well then you might want to check out Mr. Bensons postgame comments which were short and to the point. Mr. Benson stated than in his twenty years as a owner of this team he hasn't seen a team play worse and went on to say that, "They played like a high-school team, and that is where they belong". Well said Mr. Benson, now raise some hell and hold some folks accountable.

I'll try and give some bright and low spots of the game:

Bright Spots
- Aaron threw the ball accurately when he had time
- Stallworth played well, and seemed to have a little swagger again
- Joe Horn is a warrior, and put up a gutsy performance against the best CB in football
- Charles Grant and Will Smith both played hard
- Tebucky Jones had a solid outing as did CB Jason Craft
- We have 5 division games left, and a slight chance to pull off a miracle

Low Spots
- Brooks' decisions under pressure are unexplainable and idiotic
- Our offensive tackles are horrible
- Bentley got blown up almost all game
- Stallworth still can't seem to make the big plays under pressure
- Sullivan was dancing on the sidelines and didn't play or really care as usual
- Fred Thomas got abused in coverage yet again
- Micheal Lewis made some bad decisions fielding the ball, and coughed it up once for good measure
- You know you're defense is bad when your fans get excited about a 3yd Denver run on first down

We had our opportunities to get back into this one, we are just a bad team. I hate to admit it, but it is what it is.......Dude out

Click here for postgame conference and interviews

Do You Have Papers? - A disturbing personal account of the consequences of the Patriot Act

2004-11-20T23:11:00.000-05:00

Keep in mind while reading this that this guy was a Marine, combat decorated, retired as a Army Reserve LtCol, AND served admirably and honorably on the Tulsa PD. Probably the most disturbing account in this article is this excerpt:

"Now, let ME ask YOU a question," says I. "Why did I get picked out--randomly?"
He showed me a checkered box at the bottom of my boarding pass and said that the computer does it, and when they see this they pull you out of line. I asked why I ALWAYS had the checkered box.
"Well, you could be on The List."
"What list?" I pursued.
"Let's put it this way. You might have ticked someone off in Washington, like the FBI or another agency. I can't say more. I'd get in trouble.You need to catch your plane." He half grinned and walked off. I headed for the gate.

was then that I knew what it was all about. I had written my government-critical book "The Medusa File: Crimes and Coverups of the US Government", and in doing so stepped on a lot of toes. I knew the FBI had at one time tapped my phones, intercepted my mail, and tailed me--simply because I wrote about cases of government abuse, abuse of power and crimes committed by politicians and bureaucrats who used their positions of power for their own agendas.

This guy was on the watch list b/c he wrote a book about corruption in the gov't. Just another example of how the Patriot Act is abused and exploited on what has to be a daily basis. And with the new makeup in Congress and another 4 years of GWB, don't expect much to be done about this anytime soon. Anyway, it's a great read, and he makes good arguments and observations about our current counterterrorism tactics and even the fate of our much maligned airline industry.

Link: NewsWithViews.com

White Supremacist Group Uses Free Music to Spread Message - Rap Music?

2004-11-20T13:02:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe it myself when I read about it so I went to MSNBC.com and sure enough they said that it was rap music they are distributing. Well, although it would make for a great story, they aren't using rap music. I don't think that the folks at MSNBC know remotely what rap is. When you click on the launch button to see the video version of the story, the title reads, "Hate groups use rap to recruit". Then proceed to listen and you'll here death metal in the background. On a serious note, it is very disturbing that these guys have already distributed 20,000 of these "rap" CD's and are setting a goal for 200,000. Even more disturbing is the fact that they are distributing them on high school and middle school campuses around the country. That "rap" has got to be stopped.

Link: MSNBC.com (click on launch button)

Saints - Week 11 Analysis vs. Broncos

2004-11-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

Vegas: Denver by 4pts

BRONCOS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 137.8 yards per game (6th in NFL); Passing Offense -- 248.1 ypg (8th); Total Offense -- 385.9 ypg (5th). Rushing Defense -- 106.1 ypg (8th); Passing Defense -- 168.1 ypg (2nd); Total Defense -- 274.2 ypg (3rd)
.
SAINTS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 93.6 yards per game (26th); Passing Offense -- 226.0 ypg (13th); Total Offense -- 319.6 ypg (19th). Rushing Defense -- 149.0 ypg (32nd); Passing Defense -- 275.0 ypg (32nd); Total Defense -- 424.0 ypg (32nd).

Injuries
Broncos
OUT: DT Luther Elliss (Calf) ; DE Trevor Pryce (Back)
QUESTIONABLE: FS John Lynch (Back)
Saints
DOUBTFUL: OLB Derrick Rodgers (Back)
QUESTIONABLE: TE Ernie Conwell (Shoulder) ; SS Steve Gleason (Hamstring) ; WR Joe Horn (Knee) {You know he will play as well as I do} ; CB Mike McKenzie (Knee)
PROBABLE: RB Deuce McAllister (Flu)

Duder's Keys to Victory

- FILL THE GAPS: The saints have had a hard time in recent history with Mike Shannahan's zone blocking run attack. The last meeting b/t these two teams in the dome(2000) FB Mike Anderson rushed for 254yds and people are looking for a repeat this Sunday. In order to stop Droughns this week, our DB's and LB's must fill the gaps created by the zone blocks. Run blitzes might be a good option this week.

- GET TO JAKE PLUMMER: Yes, for the third week in a row, I am saying we need a pass rush. I'll stop mentioning it when we aquire one. This is a good week for pass rushing, b/c our line is primarily built on strength, and the Denver O line is undersized but quick. We should be able to bull rush the Denver O line effectively. Hopefully Howard will be ready to go.....

- GIVE DUECE THE DAMN BALL!: Could someone tell me why Duece didn't touch the ball until the end of the 1st qtr last week? And then he rushed for 28yds on his first carry.....16 carries is not enough touches for the most talented player on the squad.

- ROLL OUT: Our O line is playing pathetically, especially picking up blitzes, so we should probably be running Aaron out on bootlegs or controlled rollouts. He seems to throw better in rhythm when rolling out anyway......

- STRETCH THE FIELD: We've got speedy recievers, so lets stretch the field a little. We actually did a decent job of this last week, and I'm hoping that we do it again even more this week.

Players to watch

DE Charles Grant - look for him to have another impact game against the undersized Denver O line. He should be good for a sack in this one. I just hope he holds up the run as well.

RB Deuce McAllister - If he gets 20+ touches he will surpass the century mark, because he is healthy and back in rare form. Will they involve him enough early? Who knows with this coaching staff.....

RB Reuben Droughns - If history repeats itself, which I hope it won't, then he will have a monster day against the hapless Saints defensive front.

TE Boo Williams - he is becoming Aarons favorite target again. If we establish the run early, Boo and Joe Horn (yeah, you know he's gonna play) will benefit from the play action pass the most.

Bold Prediction: Saints 34 Broncos 30

REWARD: 6 Cases of Beer for 1 Baby Jesus

2004-11-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

This is no joke. Evidentially, someone decided to steal baby Jesus from a nativity scene outside a local brewery somewhere in Australia. I wonder how many locals are looking to purchase a baby Jesus to swap for the cases? Seems like a pretty good exchange to me, minus the embarrassment...It is a short excerpt, so I'll post it below:

With Christmas approaching security staff at Adelaide's main brewery are urgently trying to find Christ, but not in a spiritual way.
A thief has stolen the baby Jesus from the brewery's traditional Riverbank display along the River Torrens.
Security footage shows a man scaling a fence and kidnapping the messiah figure, only days after the display was erected.
The brewery says it the first time anything like this has happened in the 45 years of the display and it is offering a reward of six cases of beer for the return of Jesus.

Link: ABCNews.com

Debt Ceiling raised by 800 billion dollars by Congress

2004-11-18T11:42:00.000-05:00

Well, here we go again folks. It passed with a 52-44 vote. Evidentially the Dept. of Treasury has been borrowing money from a civil service retirement account to pay the bills lately. As of last month, the national deficit was exceeding 7 trillion dollars, which is the maximum amount of money the gov't can borrow. Not anymore. Here is how the republicans acted during this very partisan vote in Congress:

Republican senators did not join in the debate, underscoring how politically uncomfortable the measure is for them. That discomfort was highlighted when they refused to bring the bill to a vote before the elections.

Looks like they cast their vote, and turned tail. Something has to give here folks. 800 billion won't last too long under this administration, with a load of new policies and promises and a war in Iraq that isn't going away anytime soon. The only question is, which federally funded programs are the first to suffer? I sure am glad I'm not on the funds appropriation committee.

Link: MSNBC.com

Holy Grilled Cheese! - Thats on E-bay!

2004-11-17T10:50:00.000-05:00

Well, what can you really say here? There is a grilled cheese sandwhich up for bid on E-bay again, with the image of the virgin mary. It was pulled earlier in the week for violating E-bay policies, but is back on it today. The top bid before was over 20k, and I think now it is over 5k. The disturbing thing is that this isn't a joke. Diana Duyser, the current owner of the divine sandwhich, has had it for over 10 years on her nightstand. And people are bidding for thousands of dollars. What's next? I'll tell you, in about 10 minutes there will be a P&J sandwhich with the image of Jesus on it. Why stop with sandwhiches though? There are a myraid of other worthy food items that are just waiting to depict their holy images. And now if you'll excuse me, I have a "special" sandwhich to make.

Link: Yahoo.com

The holy sandwhich: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19270&item=5535890757&rd=1

The Ebay outfall: http://search.ebay.com/grilled-cheese_W0QQsokeywordredirectZ1QQfromZR8

Environment - "Red List" Report for 2004; Over 15,000 species threatened with extinction

2004-11-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

15,589 spp to be exact. Here are some startling statistics, 1:3 amphibians and almost half of all freshwater turtles are threatened to become extinct. The list isn't all doom and gloom though. It also shows that worldwide conservation efforts are working with various species of migratory birds that were deemed "threatened" in 2003. All I know is that I sure hope this guy is right:

"Governments are starting to realize the value of biodiversity and the critical roles it plays in their people's well-being," said David Brackett, head of the IUCN's Species Survival Commission.

I sure hope so. The more we thin out the natural diversity in our surrounding ecosystems, the more fragile they become making us all susceptible to spreading famine, disease, drought, and natural disasters. Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, our health is still very much dependent on the health of the environment around us. The consequences of dismantling and weakening our surrounding ecosystems are out there already. And, the more species we remove from them, the harsher the consequences are and they become harder to repair and maintain. I know I'm ranting, but I sincerely hope more and more people will start to wake up to this fact. As a race, we are so far removed from our surroundings that I feel like we almost feel above the system that essentially keeps us alive. That is just plain and simply false. Rant over, dude out....

Link: ENN.com

Duders Tunes - Hard Rock/Punk Hybrids

2004-11-16T18:23:00.000-05:00

Thrice – I’ve been following this band for almost 4yrs now, and I still have one of their CD’s in my car stereo at least once a week. They are band of extremely talented musicians, and their album released last year “The Artist in the Ambulance” was touted by Rolling Stone Magazine as the most highly anticipated album of the year. Sadly, mainstream radio has not embraced this band to date, but their body of work to date is spectacular. It’s worth a listen to hear lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi, shred through songs like “Deadbolt”, and “T&C” alone. Take the voice of Billy Joe from Green Day, add Metallica-like melodies and changes in time, great guitar solos, and 3 piece harmonies and you have Thrice. Almost all of their music is available on the net, here is a good site to listen. They do a great cover of “Elenor Rigby”.

Avenged Sevenfold- New Hardcore Metal at its finest. They have a great catalogue of dark, macabre, heavy, epic tunes that strike at your core. Songs like “Chapter four” and “Unholy Confessions” showcase their dark storytelling and unique style that is much in the same line as Pantera and Iron Madien before them. If you’re in the mood for some great metal, these guys are the ticket. Check out their website for a listen.

The Mars Volta – Really you can’t categorize these guys at all. Their sound is completely unique, but definitely in the punk rock spirit. They have been well known on the underground punk circuit for quite some time, but recently have enjoyed some moderate recognition from mainstream music. This band is insanely brilliant, and I really won’t even try to describe their sound. They are supremely talented at all levels, especially when you factor in that flea recorded with them on their major label debut "Deloused in the Comatorium. My favorite tracks are "Tellevators" and "Cicatriz ESP". Just think of them as the Hard Rock/Punk version of Pink Floyd. Listen and you’ll see why. They pull sounds out of nowhere. Check em out.

Environment - Dem's and Greens look to overturn Bush's "Forest" Plan

2004-11-16T15:11:00.000-05:00

Bush's "Forest" plan is a plan to clear-cut and de-regulate federal protection over some 60+ million acres of forest. His logic? To prevent forest fires of course. This argument is so stupid, I can't even put it into words. Not only do you remove the natural genetic diversity across the landscape, and remove the only natural mechinism that ensures it, you pull a significantly less amount of money per acre than you would if you left the current logging guidelines in place. This is per the US Forest Services own data. Let's hope the new Secretary of Agriculture will be up to the task, but I highly doubt he or she will be anything more than another political lapdog for the Bush administration.

Dude out....

Link: ENN.com

Hardees throws up a "thick' middle finger to the healthfood craze

2004-11-16T14:48:00.000-05:00

Hardees has just anounced that they are going to introduce the monster thickburger to their menu. The sandwhich will cost you a hefty 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat. Wow, that is one hefty burger! Even more astonishing is the fact that there will be a significant number of people who will order this sandwhich and demand a Diet Coke. God, I love America!

Link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,138678,00.html

Diamond Dave, Paramedic

2004-11-16T14:20:00.000-05:00

Well, my favorite rock star idol David Lee Roth has decided he wants to become a paramedic, and evidentially has been training for some time now. I guess the washed up rock n roll star thing wasn't doing anything for his mojo, so he is gonna try the whole saving your life thing for some action in his later years. Seriously, he is training to be a paramedic, and apparently it's something he's always wanted to do. Power to you Diamond Dave. I wonder if he will lay down some of his infamous one-liners while on duty. In that spirit, and b/c Diamond Dave is the man, I will leave you with some of my favorite Rothisms:

"I used to have a drug problem, now I make enough money."

"Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it."

"Music is like girlfriends to me; I'm continually astonished by the choices other people make."

"I would just like to say that after all these years of heavy drinking, bright lights and late nights, I still don't need glasses. I drink right out of the bottle."

God bless you Diamond Dave, and thanks for the memories

Link: Diamond Dave Paramedic

Saints - Week 10 Analysis vs. Chiefs

2004-11-13T18:32:00.000-05:00

Vegas: Chiefs by 4 1/2 pts

CHIEFS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 159.8 yards per game (2nd in NFL); Passing Offense -- 253.0 ypg (6th); Total Offense -- 412.8 ypg (3rd). Rushing Defense -- 114.3 ypg (15th); Passing Defense -- 235.4 ypg (27th); Total Defense -- 349.6 ypg (tied for 25th).

SAINTS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 91.4 yards per game (tied for 26th); Passing Offense -- 224.3 ypg (15th); Total Offense -- 315.6 ypg (19th). Rushing Defense -- 142.6 ypg (30th); Passing Defense -- 272.3 ypg (31st); Total Defense -- 414.9 ypg (32nd).

Duders Keys to Victory

- MM ON TONY G. - We need either our best corner, Mike McKenzie, or a linebacker and safety (other than Ruff at LB) at all times on the G factor. He is by far their best receiver, and we can't have another Antonio Gates type massacre hanging on our D's hands.

- GET TO TRENT GREEN FOR GODS SAKE! - A tough assignment for an underachieving D line, against one of the best O lines in NFL. I hope Howard is a go, and W. Whitehead can get some reps in beside Brian Young. That would be one hell of a pass rushing line with Grant, Howard, Whitehead, and Young pinning their ears back. Nevertheless, we can't have Green setting up a picnic and picking us apart like Brees was last week.

- SCORE FIRST - We need to play with a lead for once this year. Duece should have a great day running on this defense, and if we have a lead, we should be able to successfully keep the KC offense off of the field effectively.

Players to watch

RB Duece McAllister - Although his stats didn't necessarily show it, he ran the ball effectively last week, and seems to be back in prime form. Look for him to finally put up the numbers we've been expecting this season.

TE Tony Gonzalez - He is a freak, enough said.

WR Donte Stallworth - This guy needs to step up in the worst way, and this is a good week to do it.

Bold Prediction: Saints 38 Chiefs 31 ( I can't pick against them for christs sake!)

Duder's Tunes

2004-11-11T23:04:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me well know that the dude loves his music. So, I'll be posting music on here from time to time as you might imagine. I'm always trying to find that new band that reminds me that rock n roll has not been surrendered to the Ashlee Simpsons of this world, and as I think I find them I'll be posting them here. My musical horizons also strectch out into R&B, Rap, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Metal, and the occasional Electronica track. I'll try to keep the picks eclectic as time goes on. Right now here is a taste of what I'm listening to right now:

Muse
A UK band that infuses hard rock and electronica to produce an epic sound that is enhanced by infusing a classical piano and keyboards to give a real deep dramatic feel to the music. Their new album "Absolution" is a great listen from front to back. If you like bands like Radiohead and The Killers, then you'll love this group. They have a great website, take a listen: Muse

The Return of Ja
It seems that Ja Rule has finally put the beef behind him and gotten back to his old form. In no song is that more apparant than in the track "New York". (click to listen) I don't know who layed that track down, but it is sick. Fat Joe and Jadakiss also lend their hand in the track that I think puts Ja Rule back on the Hip-Hop map. The new album is "R.U.L.E.", which is very telling b/c his sound is back to his "Venni Vetti Vecci" days. I personally am glad to see him back to his old, raw form.

Sports - Saints - Saints Roundup

2004-11-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

Blacked Out!
Looks like the sell-out streak is officially over. As of Thursday over 4,000 tickets still remain for the Chiefs game this weekend. In actuality, local businesses to this date have been bailing out the last few thousand or so tickets for a while now. Nevertheless, the people of New Orleans have spoken, and if the losing continues the problems will keep compounding for the Saints franchise.
Link: WWL.com

Whitehead back!
God knows we could use him. After all of the hype of a dominant D-line going into the season, the dust has cleared over the half-way point, and if you look back you'll see our D-line bruised, battered, abused, and broken. Any help is good at this point, and Willie Whitehead has always been a fierce competitor and should add a spark to a defense that desperately needs it. We definitely need his pass rushing ability, as we need to get to Trent Green to have a chance. And we might with an ailing Priest Holmes. More on the matchup to come tommorow.

Dude what are you smoking?
Len Pasquareli named RT-Victor Riley as part of his all NFC team at mid-season. Has this guy ever put down a doughnut long enough to actually watch a Saints game? Geez, he picks by far our worst offensive lineman who has recently had much of his playing time going to Spencer Folau due to his pathetic play. If you want to throw a Saint on that team, you'd have to throw Joe Horn. Otherwise, the pickings are far and few between with the exeption of Charles Grant who is rightfully picked on the defensive side. This team is underachieving at all levels and positions right now.
Link: ESPN.com

Surprise! GOP 527's out spent their counterparts in the end.

2004-11-11T22:03:00.000-05:00

30 million dollars in the final three weeks on TV ads, damn! What ads were remembered the most......the Swift Boat and the Progress for America ads. I think most of this stuff we already knew, but one statistic by the Campaign Finance Institute disturbed me the most:

In Senate contests, the Campaign Finance Institute found that fundraising by incumbents in close races shot up 73 percent, from $4.5 million in 2002 to $7.8 million this year, while challenger fundraising in those contests grew 29 percent, from $2.8 million to $3.6 million.

Campaign finance reform, where are you?

Link: Washington Post

Pharmacists refusing to fill birth control pills becoming more widespread

2004-11-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

I can almost understand if a particular pharmacist doesn't want to prescribe medicine that he or she believes it is harmful to the patient. But, under law, they are supposed to pass on this prescription to another pharmacist to fill it. This is not happening in many cases, and that is disturbing. It is taking it way to far to block somebody's right to purchase a legal drug for personal reasons. How far is this going to go? There are a few rounds of legal action around the country that will set the stage for the way this country will handle it. I'm no lawyer by any means, but obstruction is a clear concept and is not upheld by the constitution. I hope the legal ramifications are swift and clear. There should be no tolerance for healthcare professionals imposing there morals on patients to the point of obstructing their right to healthcare and the products associated with it.

Link: USA Today

Another specific case here: El Paso Times

Saints - Rumor Mill - Haslett to Remain Coach...Saban coach next year?

2004-11-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

According to Pro Football Central.com, Haslett will not step down or be fired, and Nick Saban has been considered by Benson to be next years coach. Why take this with a grain of salt? Because they also mention that Saban is a New Orleans native. News to me.....

League officials informed ProFootballCentral.com late Tuesday night that Saints owner Tom Benson has no intention of firing head coach Jim Haslett this season and Haslett has no intention of stepping down. Rumors have been circulating around New Orleans that Benson will fire Haslett who currently has the Saints at a 3-5 record and tied with Tampa for second place in the NFC South. The Saints have allowed 234 points so far this season which is an NFC worst and certainly has Haslett on the edge of his seat if they do not make the playoffs. Benson if he does fire Haslett will not do so until the end of the year and has already been considering Nick Saban ( a New Orleans native) the best possible replacement as of now.

BTW, the ESPN Power Rankings are in and here is what they had to say about my team:

Saints 28 (21) - We're really not sure how people can root for this team. It must make you sick to your stomach

F*cking A dude, f*cking A

Environment - Bush renewing push to drill in Alaska

2004-11-10T09:28:00.000-05:00

Another huge suprise.....The GOP thinks that they can pull the 52 votes needed to pass this as a budget measure, with the new makeup in Congress. Well that sure will help the energy crisis in the US. That is why I love this administration, they are long-term thinkers. The most generous estimates of oil depositories sitting under the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge are about 11 billion barrels, enough for two whole years of consupmtion in the US. So, we cause damage to a fragile ecosystem that could last for decades, for a couple of years worth of oil? Surely the oil companies will make enough money in Alaska to pass on a price break to the consumers......Oil companies and politicians are the only entities that stand to benefit from this action, period. Way to reach across party lines, it's already started again folks..

Oh yeah, and check out this little nugget of joy the AP slipped in at the end:

Despite the GOP's new strength, Senate Democrats can still put the brakes on energy measures they strongly oppose through filibusters such as the one that blocked an energy bill in 2003. The issue then in dispute was liability protection for makers of the MTBE gasoline additives, which have been found to contaminate water systems. However, given the stronger GOP majority, sustaining such filibusters may be more difficult.

Cause God knows that we have to protect the guys that manufacture contaminanting chemicals from being reponsible for producing contaminating chemicals. It only takes about 2ppb of MTBE to contaminate grounwater. Couple that with the fact that it does not readily break down or tie up with carbon compounds, and you have a serious problem. It is also a suspected carcinogen. A report released in 2003 showed that it already has affected at least 15 million people, with cleanup costs that could reach 29billion. Couple that with internal documents from the same oil companies we want to protect from lawsuits that state research definitively showing that MTBE is a serious threat to groundwater contamination, and you have a situation that stinks worse than the contaminated water.

Environment - Suprise! Bush Stands by rejection of Greenhouse gas limits (i.e. Kyoto)

2004-11-09T23:04:00.000-05:00

Big suprise here. His claims of cutting off 5 million US jobs are egregious to say the least. Carbon trading, as proposed in conjuction with new emission standards, would actually create market factors to control pollution and actually make the act of controlling greenhouse gas emissions profitable. You would actually create jobs, and the agricultural marketplace would benefit the most(and boy could it use it). Anyway, you can read more about it here.

BTW, also not suprisingly Bush's lapdog EPA head Micheal Leavitt totally agrees with him. Hmm, what a suprise with such a good record as govenor in Utah. Here is what Robert Kennedy had to say about him recently when interviewed by MotherJones.com:

MJ.com: How has the situation changed now that Michael O. Leavitt has replaced Christine Todd Whitman at the EPA?
RFK: It went from bad to worse. Leavitt has giant social skills and charm, but his record is one of the most anti-environmental of any governor except for George W. Bush. The first thing that he did when he came into office was to dismantle President Clinton’s mercury rule. The same utilities that are discharging ozone and particulates, those same coal-burning power plants are also discharging huge amounts of mercury into our air, and the mercury ends up in the fish. Just a few weeks ago, the EPA announced its decision that, as a result of that, all fish in 19 states are now unsafe to eat because of mercury contamination. At least some of the fish in 48 states are now unsafe to eat. In fact, the only two states where they’re “safe” are Alaska and Wyoming, where the Republican-controlled legislatures refused to allocate the funds for their agencies to test the fish.
Today, one out of every six American women has so much mercury in her womb that her children are at risk for a grim inventory of diseases, including autism, blindness, mental retardation and heart, liver and kidney disease. My own levels of mercury are so high -- I had them tested recently -- that a woman with the same levels would have a child with cognitive impairment. The Clinton administration had classified mercury as a hazardous pollutant under the Clean Air Act, which triggered a requirement that those utilities remove 90 percent of the mercury within three and a half years. It would have cost less than 1 percent of plant revenue, and the great thing about it is that it works; we now know that when the utilities stop discharging mercury, that the fish downstream clean up almost immediately.
But this is an industry that gave all that money, over $100 million, to the president. A few months ago, the Bush administration announced that it was scrapping the Clinton-era regulations and substituting instead regulations that were written by utility lawyers, from the law firm of Latham and Watkins. Under the new rules, the utilities will effectively never have to clean up their mercury. And the chief lobbyist for Latham and Watkins was Jeffrey Holmstead, who is now the head of the air division of EPA. This is an example of how corporations have infiltrated our government and are dismantling it in order to privatize the commons.

Bro, this one's for you (Aurawind) - NFL Flash Cartoon Spoof

2004-11-09T22:35:00.000-05:00

Check out this flash cartoon of "The Justice Guys", a super hero group of NFL players. I won't spoil it but you gotta love Ricky Williams sidekick. Anyway click on the link and enjoy: Justice Guys 3

I can't wait for this one......

2004-11-09T18:39:00.000-05:00

Mr. Depp has a lot to live up to in this one. Gene Wilder was his usual brilliant self, and embodied everything my imagination had put together in the books. Maybe we'll get a respectable "Big Glass Elevator" flick to follow if this one catches on. Here's hoping that it does....

Dude out

Link: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Howard Dean for DNC Chair?......Yeaaaaah!

2004-11-09T18:22:00.000-05:00

Howard Dean is "considering" a bid to become the next DNC chair. Although just speculation, it would be a statement by the DNC if he does become the chair. Most would say he sits too far to the left to be chair during the next 4 years. Of course, if he does become chairman early next year, he couldn't run for the presidency in 2008. Yeah, he's got a real shot........I personally like Dean, its just that I think he squandered his one and only legitimate chance this year.

Link: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=703&e=3&u=/ap/20041109/ap_on_re_us/dean_dnc

Walmart Strikes Again!

2004-11-09T18:13:00.000-05:00

Unsatisfied by the demoltion of local marketplaces and hardware stores, Walmart now has set its sites on outcompeting rental giants like Blockbuster and Net-Flix. Walmart flexed its superior fiscal muscle and announced that they will be dropping the prices for their new DVD rental plans by 7.5%. Is there no end?

Link: DVD price wars

NY Jets and City thinking sustainable

2004-11-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

Glad to see the state of New York is in the process of approving to put up a fine facility like this and use wholistic design methodologies to build it. It sure is going to be impressive looking

This will really be a state of the art facility. They plan to produce all of the power for the stadium through renewable energy sources with solar collector tubes, PV (Photovoltaics - Solar Panels), and wind turbines. What a showcase for renewable energy! They also are going to utilize something that more american architects should pay attention to......rainwater catchment systems. I won't go into an idealogical rant about wasting freshwater, and freshwater runnoff rates compared to groundwater surpluses, but trust me this is a good thing and will be essential in the future. Anyway, word is that it will get approved before the end of the year. I can't wait to see it, and peoples reactions to the way it is going to be built!

Link: NYSCC

Sports: Saints - Week 9 vs. Chargers Analysis

2004-11-05T18:00:00.000-05:00

Vegas: Chargers by 61/2 pts

Rankings:
SAINTS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 93.3 yards per game (26th in NFL); Passing Offense -- 232.7 ypg (11th); Total Offense -- 326.0 ypg (16th). Rushing Defense -- 141.3 ypg (29th); Passing Defense -- 275.4 ypg (31st); Total Defense -- 416.7 ypg (31st).

CHARGERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 134.1 yards per game (9th); Passing Offense -- 204.9 ypg (20th); Total Offense -- 339.0 ypg (13th). Rushing Defense -- 81.5 ypg (1st); Passing Defense -- 249.1 ypg (28th); Total Defense -- 330.6 ypg (14th).

Duder's Keys to Victory

- The saints must apply pressure on Drew Brees. The front four will most likely get Darren Howard back, and hopefully Sullivan will pick up his play. If we can't get pressure, we've got to create it with blitzes. Please don't rush 3 on 3rd and long Mr. Venturi, the dude begs you..

- PUT SOME POINTS UP EARLY! No more conservative sets on the first few drives. Lets spread out the offense and make them guess. We need to stop playing from behind.

- Run Duece run. Keeping the opposing D guessing early will allow us to build a lead and give em hell with Duece, who is healthy again and should see 20+ touches this week.

- LT's bum ankle. Sad, I know but LT's ankle has him limited as of late to what he can do. He has been a more North and South runner, and can't make the cuts he's used to. The word is he has even been downgraded to questionable this week.

Players to watch:
DT Johnathan Sullivan - this might be his coming out party after a week of intense practicing. Has he finally put his lackluster attiutude behind him?

CB Mike McKenzie - With another couple of weeks to learn the system and become more comfortable, he should shut down Keenan McCardell this week.

RB Duece McAllister - Look for him to have a huge game, despite the Chargers good run defense. He is healthy, and will have an impact on it one way or another.

TE Antonio Gates - If the Chargers beat us with the passing game, it will be largely b/c the play of Gates. We haven't picked up tight ends well so far this year, and the Chargers love to sneek him into coverage. I hope we've properly prepared for this guy, we should have, b/c he is the leading reciever for the Chargers to date.

Bold Prediction: Saints 34 Chargers 28

Slate: The unteachable ingorance of the red states

2004-11-05T17:42:00.000-05:00

Wow! I bet this one rubbed the Republicans the wrong way in a big way. Some of these points are valid, harsh, but valid. I really think that the republicans are winning more b/c of thier idealogolical front that they put on so well as of late. When you can make people think that God would vouch for your party, you've done something big. I don't know if it is due to the ingorance of rural folk, I think it is more that the Republicans have made it their mantle and put up a good face to seperate the two parties even more. They clearly know their constituents and molded their identity to cater to them. That is just superior "strategery". Seriously, democrats should really start looking at their own performances, stances, and identity to broaden their appeal to the masses before stereotyping rural folk as being ignorant. Not a good way to pick up the pieces and move on. The Democratic party needs a breathe of fresh air, and they might want to look to Obama. He did something special in Illinios......

Link: Why Americans hate Democrats - A Dialogue

Micheal Moore: 17 reasons not to slit your wrist b/c of the election

2004-11-05T17:32:00.000-05:00

Good piece from Micheal Moore breaking down some of the statistics from this past election. Some things I didn't realize:

2. Bush's victory was the NARROWEST win for a sitting president since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
3. The only age group in which the majority voted for Kerry was young adults (Kerry: 54%, Bush: 44%), proving once again that your parents are always wrong and you should never listen to them.
4. In spite of Bush's win, the majority of Americans still think the country is headed in the wrong direction (56%), think the war wasn't worth fighting (51%), and don’t approve of the job George W. Bush is doing (52%). (Note to foreigners: Don't try to figure this one out. It's an American thing, like Pop Tarts.)

One thing I'm glad I realize:

1. It is against the law for George W. Bush to run for president again.

Dude out.......

Link: MichealMoore.com

F-16 Fires at Elementary School

2004-11-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

Uhmm, there are just so many questions to raise here. I guess this is the next step in the No Child Left Behind Program. The kids at Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School in NJ have holes in the roof now to remind them what might happen if they don't "come up to standards". Col. Brian Webster of the National Guard had these calming words to say, "The 2-inch long bullets are made of lead and do not explode"

The dude has no comment....

Link: Look mommy it's a jet plane!

Sports: Saints - Could Sully's mom have struck a chord in him?

2004-11-04T19:57:00.000-05:00

Reading SaintsReport.com, as I do daily, I was suprised to see reports that Sully (DT Johnathan Sullivan) got in a scuffle at practice, but has practiced really well this week. Then I remembered a post about somebody meeting Sully's mom, and her telling him that "she was gonna have a serious talk with him". Mom didn't seem like she was happy with the effort her son was putting out either. Could momma have lit the fire under his touche that has needed to be there for a while? And, if so, why does it have to come down to his mom? Hmmm, either way, a big shout out and thank you to Mrs. Sullivan.

How bout dem saints?

2004-11-04T19:40:00.000-05:00

As an effort to quell my weekly nerves regarding my football team of choice, The New Orleans Saints, I will be analyzing matchups on a week-to-week basis every Friday. This week we've drawn the red-hot Chargers.....ouch! The dude will definitely be giving many updates on them, and the Hornets, as their respective seasons go on. The big news today is that CB Ashley Ambrose has moved waay down the depth chart to No.5. The dude must ask why? Ashley Ambrose, with the exeption of Mike McKenzie, has been our best corner so far this season. Not that it says a whole lot, but I hope it is because of a nagging injury. I'd rather see him at nickel rather than Freddie Thomas, who has been abused and constantly picked on as of late. I'll update the matchup w/the Chargers tommorow.

Link: Sportsline.com

Sports: TO mouths off...AGAIN!

2004-11-04T19:31:00.000-05:00

Why can't this guy just keep his stupid mouth shut? He wonders how the media can look at Ray Lewis and his past and still think that T.O. is the "bad guy". Well, it probably has something to do with the fact that, for the most part, Ray lets his game do the talking. He also is well known for having respect for the game and the players who play it. This is something that unfortunately T.O. will never understand. He always says it himself....he is just having fun. "9yr olds, dude.......9yr olds"

Link: T.O. mouths off....again

2004-11-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

"This agression will not stand, man!"

Dude, Where's my Country?

2004-11-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

More like, where is my country going? After enduring the sick feeling in my stomach over the past few days due to the re-election of Mr. Bush, I have decided to join my friends and siblings in the blogosphere in order to vent my frustrations about the world around me. You can expect everything on this blog to have a hint of "Lebowski" in it, as it is my favorite movie of all time(The Big Lebowski) , and I find myself feeling more and more like "The dude" these days. All the dude wants is his country back. Has fear really overtaken us so much, that we can look at the mess that GWB has made of this country and say it is ok because we haven't gotten attacked again? The answer of course is a resounding yes. The thing that bothers me the most are the people that defend this mentality by saying: (a) We took the fight to them, so that is a good thing, therefore he is a better option for national security. (b) Well, the war in Iraq might not have been neccessary, but we need someone in office who will do this thing right.

The (b) people are who bother me the most. Lets put it in perspective, with plumbing of course. Lets say that you have leaky pipe in your bathroom, causing water to get in your bedroom and call a plumber, George. Well, George found that the pipe leaking was coming from your sink (Afganistan), so he patched it up with chewing gum and took a hammer to the piping in your toilet(Iraq). Well, water is now all over the place (terrorism), so he seals in the bathroom, crawls out of a window and blames it on the contractors who built the house. Now, faced with fixing your water problem (terrorism), whould you give ol' George a call to come in and fix the entire situation? I wouldn't.....Plumbing and the war on terror, one in the same....I wonder why Kerry didn't use this analogy?

Seriously, what has this country just said as a whole? We turned out in record numbers to say we want George W Bush for four more years. What does that say about are country's voice? Fear and false moral agenda's have overtaken the mass populous like a plague. A virtual theoracy is in place, with a man in office who feels like he is on a mission from god, and that is his mandate. Just for something to chew on, here is a look at an Arab publications perspective on the matter.