Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Disturbing report on the Navy's preparedness and operation. Thanks Obama!

- Speaking of Obama - the "Alt-Right" Vanity Fair makes the argument that maybe we didn't get Trump because Hillary was such a bad candidate but maybe instead we got Trump because Obama was such a bad President. Interesting - maybe the article should have ended with Matthew 10:36

- Spinning ice circle in Presumscot River in Maine has people thinking alien crop circles. Maine's most famous resident Stephen King was not reached for comment.

- Cell phone account fraud is a big new threat. At the very least you should have a PIN with your cell provider that needs to be provided before any changes can be made to your account.

- Cool - Jason Reitman to direct Ghostbusters sequel set in the original story universe.

- Clint Eastwood getting some head in the 1960's

- Toyota bringing back all-new Supra sports car in 2020

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Why Trump was right to leave the Paris Accords

- Draw your own conclusions

- One of the all-time great photos

- History will not be kind to President Obama (and for damn good reason!)

- Debbie Wasserman Shultz Crank Yankers failure (you can't make this shit up)

- Heh heh

- Very cool - Dinosaur "Mummy" unveiled with skin and guts intact

- Good advice

War on Terror

I think it was Napoleon who said that the inevitable result of a defensive war is surrender. George W. Bush was on the offensive in the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan and we were winning big time. People who argue a defensive posture just don't get it.

After 8-years of a defensive (at best) posture by President Obama ISIS is now bigger than al Qaeda ever was according to Obama's own CIA Director John Brennan.

History won't be kind.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Well I hope at least the white half of President Obama was out-raged on behalf of the black half of President Obama over last night's comments. (Actually I could care less)... The comments made last night that people should be outraged at was this one.. Remember these comments if President Trump comes to pass... Radical idea for the day - the NBA should cut it's regular season back by 16 games but then make the playoffs double elimination... Love that Tom Brady is hiring the best attorneys to fight this DefateGate BS...  Not for nothing but this weekend would be a good time to have a company that makes combo gas masks / bongs... The things that are coming and leaving Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO Go in May... "It is what it is" - who said it? Bill Belichick or the Buddah... Heh heh - words by Donald Trump...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

It took the Catholic Church 25 years to admit they were wrong to have Joan of Arc burned at the stake. Is that the over/under for years it will take Democratic Party to officially admit President Obama was a disaster?... Heh heh - by  the way how does the commenter know that Speilberg didn't kill him with his bare hands?... If the Earth was the size of an NBA regulation basketball then the moon would be the size of a tennis ball... Who knew? There's a Mike's Lemonade Lite and it's not bad (not as good as Orange Zima though)... Some things are inexplicable - like people who insist David Lynch's Eraserhead was a great movie... Another reason why nuclear power is superior to wind and solar... Speaking of the Catholic Church - there are two living Popes and the teams from their homelands are meeting in the World Cup final. Never doubt the reach and power of the Jesuits!... This photo always makes me laugh. Probably because I've had days like that...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Jason Sudekis has been attached to play IM Fletcher in the long rumored Fletch Won prequel. If you've read the Fletch books I think this is a good choice.

- Game of Thrones honest trailer. A history test with dragons and boobs!

- Heh heh - "When he's [George Clooney] drinking, he considers himself a close personal buddy of the President."

- Cool - a wetsuit design that stops sharks from eating swimmers

- Amazon and HBO ink exclusive deal.

- Heh heh - Three stages of curiosity

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I don't care how awesome the Internet becomes - Zombo.com will still be the best site ever... Have you seen those pictures of Richard Branson dressing up as a stewardess because he lost a bet? Just saying but the Most Interesting Man in the World would never do something like that.... Interesting - 10 hotel secrets from behind the front desk... I have Albert Pujols in one of my fantasy baseball leagues so I don't have to be reminded that Lyle Overbay has more HR (6-5) and more RBI (23-21)... Franks Sinatra has been dead for 15 years now - here's 15 things you may not have known about him... This is genius - comedian Kurt Braunolher paid to have this written in the sky above Los Angeles... Now would be a really good time for President Obama to raise or lower the sea levels just to distract people from all these scandals...

Presidential Pardons

If President Obama loses the election one of the most interesting things to watch for will be who he decides to give Presidential pardons to on the way out the door. I'm inclined to believe that President Obama may give Attorney General Eric Holder a blanket pardon. Holder would then become where the buck stops on anything the Administration did that may have been in less than the spirit of the law. Fast and Furious would be the obvious scandal that could stop at Holder's door. In exchange for immunity Holder could take the blame for that. Taking illegal foreign campaign contributions? Holder could step up and say "My bad!" There are any number of examples (and probably many more will see the light of day if Obama loses Tuesday).

Many people have called for Eric Holder's resignation for many years. The President stuck by Holder probably because Holder knew too much. Giving Holder a pardon in exchange for Holder agreeing to take the blame for anything and everything would seem a fair exchange. I'm not sure if the law allows for pardons for crimes that have not been charged yet but hey - when did a little thing like the law stop this Administration?

Just combine the pardon with yet another Executive order - presto chango!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Breaking - President Obama blames Mitt Romney wanting to kill Big Bird on YouTube video... These surprise military family reunions never fail to get me... Things you never notice and once pointed out can never forget - the nursery rhyme never actually say Humpty Dumpty is an egg... Las Vegas Review-Journal endorses Mitt Romney. Nevada is a key swing state. This is big... Rich Eisen of the NFL Network is promoting changing Matt Ryan's nickname from "Matty Ice" to "the Mattural". I am promoting changing Peyton Manning's nickname to "Horseface".... In 1900 a steak dinner cost $.25 - today a bag of potato chips costs at least double that... A little science humor - the Higgs Bison... Just a reminder but Jets coach Rex Ryan needs to go 7-9 this season just to equal Herm Edwards record in New York. I don't think he'll do it.

Presidential Debate Notes

Very interesting contrast between the notes each candidate wrote for themselves during Wednesday's debate.

Mitt Romney's notes.

President Obama's notes.

Explains a lot.

The Empty Chair

Lots of grief today about Clint Eastwood's speech last night where at some points he addressed an empty chair as if President Obama was sitting in it. Clint's speech last night made me feel uncomfortable for him. As I was watching it I wondered how old he is because his rambling speech did make him seem old (he's 82). But here's the thing - he's CLINT FREAKING EASTWOOD.

Most people will just see the clips of Eastwood making jokes about President Obama needing to go. The more people on the left bring up Eastwood and the empty chair - the more these clips of Eastwood jokes at the President's expense will be shown.

If I were Karl Rove - I'd have his Crossroads PAC create an add showing an empty chair. I would then scroll all the reasons why the chair has been left empty. All the rounds of golf, all the time spent at fund-raisers, all the time spent on vacation. Have a line about abdicating responsibility. Use the empty chair to keep reminding people - that Clint Eastwood thinks the President needs to be fired.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

How deliciously ironic would it be if President Obama's Executive Privilege ploy on the Fast and Furious scandal gets undermined by people leaking documents?... Pretty cool - navigating the solar system from your desktop... Is it just me or does Jarrod Saltalamacchia always look like he just came from a Phish concert?... 11 Authors who hated the movie versions of their books. Didn't know about the Mary Poppins story. They easily could have added Tom Clancy, Elmore Leonard and Ernest Hemingway to the list... Have you seen that Subway commercial where the fire chief steals and eats the fireman's sub? You know that same fire chief sexually harasses the female firefighter when nobody is around. You just know it... Wow - no wonder nobody is hiring! Obamacare adds $1.79 per hour to the cost of a full-time employee... My two word response to people who ask me why I support the death penalty - Jerry Sandusky.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Every military action by the US since Vietnam has at some point been called a quagmire by the media. How come social "wars" are never called quagmires? The War on Drugs is a quagmire, the War on Women is a quagmire, etc... Even making tea is dramatic when Alan Rickman is involved. Kinda long video but I thoroughly enjoyed it... If Mitt Romney wins the popular vote but loses in the Electoral College - will the mainstream media chime in that Obama was "selected and not elected"?... Speaking of President Obama - his recent pronouncement on gay marriage may hurt him at the polls. The independent vote is the key... Nicolas Cage is an Oscar winning actor. That's like Barack Obama being a Nobel Prize winner - right?... Social Darwinism? Is that like Social Drinking? I only believe in evolution when with friends and then only in moderation. And never when I'm alone... Interesting history - some evidence supports theory that gay marriage within early Catholic Church was no big deal...

Obama and Gay Marriage

I do have to hand it to President Obama. The day after he lost 40% of the vote in West Virginia to a prison inmate and the day after Wisconsin completely repudiated the unions who are his biggest supporters  - he was able to change the discussion to a subject that made him look enlightened. Talk about West Virginia and Wisconsin was completely shunted aside.

Nice political jujitsu. But how many times can he do something like this between now and November?

This was the best analysis I've read yet of the President's "evolution" on gay marriage.

Obama Spiking the Football

President Obama's campaign ad touting the fact that he made the call to have Osama bin Laden killed (actually he made the call to have an Admiral make the call but let's not quibble) has created some controversy but I think the people complaining about the ad miss an important point. Yes President Obama said that bragging about killing bin Laden would be the equivalent of spiking the football but spiking the football can sometimes be awesome (as Rob Gronkowski keeps reminding us). Yes every President would have made the same call (even Jimmy Carter).

The thing people are over-looking is the timing. It was just revealed that Barack Obama has been to more fund raising events than all of the previous 20th century Presidents combined. President Obama also recently changed a $3 raffle from dinner with him to dinner with him and George Clooney (the equivalent of a late night pitch artist offering to double your order of Sham-Wow if you order today). There's a reason for all the events and needing George Clooney. The President is having trouble raising money.

His advisers know that his poll numbers received a bump when news of bin Laden's death were first announced. They also know that bump only lasted so long. Bringing up bin Laden's death will probably result in another bump but Obama's advisers must know that it is bound to be smaller and of less duration than the original. Why go for that bump now? Why not use that bump closer to the election? Using it now will probably just serve to fatigue the voters in the long run. "Yeah yeah - you made a phone call and killed bin Laden, you've told us a million times now but that still doesn't help my unemployed son get a job."

I think the reason President Obama is touting killing bin Laden now is simple. He's having trouble raising money. Yes - Republicans are right to complain that even Jimmy Carter would have made that same call but in their heart of hearts they should be a little pleased because the ad tips Obama's hand. Team Obama is worried because they got nothing else to sell. Obamacare? The Stimulus? Doubling the price of gas at the pump? Having killed bin Laden is the only trick their pony knows.

The President is having trouble raising money. That probably would not have been the case if he didn't spend the last 3-years blowing through all of our cash (and the cash of future generations).

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

For what its worth - Jarrod Saltalamacchia is batting .206 with a .632 OPS. I'm pretty sure Jason Varitek could have topped those numbers... Cool - a penny that is worth $1.5 million... I think I am going to randomly point at objects and say in my most officious voice, "What is the meaning of this!?!" just to see the reactions I get... The entire list of the 213 players who returned to take part in the Fenway 100th birthday celebration... Ph studies show that vaginas should smell like vaginas - not like flowers or Red Sox starting pitchers... Joe Biden Bad Lip Reading = Awesomesause... Still say that ESPN should make Bobby Knight announce women's NCAA games paired with Jeremy Schaap. Admit it - you'd watch that... It will be interesting to watch how many Democrats up for re-election choose to campaign with President Obama. My guess is not many but I wonder if the snubs get to be a major story...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Will the phrase "Physically or emotionally into the game" become to Bobby Valentine what the phrase "pumped and jacked" became for Pete Carroll in New England?... Awesome...  Heh heh - some UMass fans are glad Boston College doesn't want to play them. They were tired of BC dragging down their strength of schedule and RPI scores...  It doesn't matter what the menu says - Kobe beef is not served in the US... Am I the only one who keeps forgetting that Ron Paul is still in the Presidential race?... The Science Channel now airs TED Talks. That is fantastic... One Jackie Robinson Day nugget to keep in the back of your mind - when Jackie was first on the Hall of Fame Ballot 22% of the BBWAA did not vote for him... I miss 70's beer ads like this...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the wake of the Secret Service hooker scandal - shouldn't some reporter ask President Obama if he favors legalizing prostitution? If I was willing to pay good money for that question does that make me a "John"?... 100 years ago Leonardo DiCaprio drown for your sins, he rose and now reads your dreams for your deepest secrets. Move over Flying Spaghetti Monster - I'm thinking of founding the Church of DiCaprio... Quid pro quo literally means "something for something". Prostitution is a quid pro quo arrangement. You give money you get sex. According to Patrick Kennedy - the Obama White House operates on the same principles as hookers... If the season ended today - Derek Lowe would probably get some votes for the AL Cy Young Award. Think about that for a minute... I may have business cards printed up - Chris Lynch, President, Americans for Bacon. Seriously - I may set up as a lobbyist... Last week's Mad Men recut as a horror movie trailer... If Ian Kennedy was still with the Yankees - would he be the team ace?... Is there any doubt that Doc Rivers should be the NBA Coach of the Year?... Johnny Cash with a kitten. Awwwwww....

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

President Obama weighed into Augusta National not having any female members but I'd be willing to bet a months pay that if you took the number of women who have played rounds of golf at Augusta this year versus the number of rounds women have played with the President since he was elected - the percentage of women playing at Augusta National would be higher. Very hypocritical comments by the President... Any time you think your favorite baseball team made a bad financial move (Hello John Lackey) just remember that the Mets still owe Bobby Bonilla $1.2 million a year until 2035. I laugh any time I think about that... The Manchurian Candidate indeed. Obama's Budget: Interest payments will exceed Defense Budget in 2019. And who will we be paying those interest payments to? The Chinese... Every Opening Day I wish for just two things - a Red Sox victory and for Dan Shaughnessy to get explosive diarrhea... Harvard Law Review must be so proud of President Obama's views on the Supreme Court. This will make the President releasing his college transcripts a campaign issue. What if his marks aren't all that his supporters have made them out to be? If he doesn't release them then that's an issue all by itself... I am so pissed at myself that I didn't go to a bar that served fried chicken to watch the Red Sox Opening Day!... Wonder if the advisor who convinced Al Gore to use the word "lockbox" as a centerpiece of his campaign is still employed in politics... The price of food at the Masters is awesome. You can't go there and not get the Pimento Cheese sandwich... Tweet of the day - imagine if Bush said this:

Jimmy Simpson ‏ @informedblackmn

Obama said under Ryan's budget plan, "hundreds of national parks will close." There are 58 national parks.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Oh my God! Kuwait mistakenly plays Borat spoof anthem of Kazakhstan at Gold Medal ceremony

Is there a power struggle emerging between Boston GM and Bobby Valentine? Bobby V really isn't giving me the warm and fuzzy.

Obamacare for Grandma. Going to be a very interesting election.  

Speaking of Obama - you have to watch the video at the end of this article. If Bush had been doing this we would never hear the end of it.

 Stephen Fry and Sir Ian McKellen pay to save The Hobbit pub from trademark trolls