Time Out

The Electipundit will be posting at infrequent and irregular intervals for the next 10 days or so. Will be on holiday as they say. Blended family vacation 1.0.

Will miss you all. Come back soon and so will I. E.

Beach Boys - Girls on the Beach
MP3 File

Zoomii Books

This here is incredibly wonderful to me. How long before we'll see music sections? Oh the joy of digitization!

Zoomii Books

Big Hat Tip: The Pre-Surfer, he surfs so you don't have to.

Geographical Facts of The Sexes

Compares our various stages/ages with different countries.

HT: Fred Again

Hipocracy

There's the old one about the fella justifying his lack of church attendance: "Churches are full of hypocrites." And the other guys says, "Yep, and there's always room for one more."

Adjusting our beliefs in response to the needs (and/or politics) of the day, or expedience... or whatever, appears to be hard-wired in us. Or so says an article from the formerly great New York Times.

HT: Fred

A Very Unexpected Treat

From Nan today. NY keeps on rocking in the free world. Worth the trip in both senses of the word.

(Y)Our Government Hard At Work

Heard this today on the morning drive. Had me scratching my head saying hmmmm.

According to the U.S. government, compensation for the average federal civilian worker in 2005 stood at over $106,000. That's double the average for private workers. That's top 5 percent of the personal income distribution. And average wages for a federal worker rose 5.8 percent that year, compared to a 3.3 wage hike in the private sector.

But who knows? Maybe all these new federal office buildings really are hives of extraordinary productivity. In San Jose, they make software, in Detroit, they make cars, and here in D.C., we make memos about meetings about regulations -- very efficiently. Maybe we Washingtonians deserve our good fortune.

Alas, according to a recent Pew Research poll, the federal government's favorability rating has plummeted to a 10-year low. If taxpayers are getting what we're paying for, we don't seem to know it.

But, hey, you just wait until the next guy gets into the White House. He's really gonna clean this place up.

Will Wilkinson is a research fellow at the Cato Institute.

Train - Mississippi

From their second album, and my first taste of Train, Drops of Jupiter, 2001.

MP3 File

They Will Need Documentation

for the canonization.

HT: Drudge

Dr. John - Right Place, Wrong Time

Just good to my ears.


MP3 File

Update: Always improving my posts. I heard the words "brain salad surgery" in the song (after posting). Of course Emerson Lake and Palmer titled one of their greatest albums that. So I Googled, then I wiki'd and then I learned:

Brain Salad Surgery is the fourth studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1973 and the first under their Manticore Records imprint. It features cover art by controversial surreal artist H. R. Giger. According to the 1996 re-release notes, Manticore Records president Mario Medious "nicked the title from a slang lyric in Dr. John's 1973 hit, "Right Place, Wrong Time" (released January 26, 1973), "Just need a little brain salad surgery/Got to cure this insecurity," to replace the working title Whip Some Skull on Yer (both titles are euphemisms for fellatio[1]).

Just in case you were thinking you knew it all.

It's just stuff like this that keeps you not reading, correct?

Back, Forth, or Stay Where You Are?

Take the poll. Or at least read some of the poll-takers' rationale.

Charles Krauthammer

Wiki'd. Interesting fellow. Quite accomplished. Punditpsychiatrist. Graduated Harvard Medical after becoming paralyzed. Worked for Democrats. Appears not to be one now. He can't please everyone all the time. I like that.

In California It's Hands Free In The Car Now

It's the law now in the Golden State. Tickets for anyone caught using a cell phone conventionally while driving. Texting though, is NOT covered in the law!

Here's an inexpensive and immediate solution to the hands-free requirement. Works with 90% of all phone models.

The Greatest 10 Rock Albums

That stalwart over at Cultural Offerings had the stones to humbly declare before the gods of rock (and his many readers) what he believes are the Greatest 10 Rock albums of all time. After reviewing, I would actually include 4 of his picks for my list. They are just that good. My man often posts some extremely good YouTubes of performances and music he likes.

I am not in any way ready to set my list (I get 6 more!) in digital stone, so stay tuned. Rock on.

Too Easy on North Korea?

It has pretty much been established that John Bolton is a neo-con dickhead. I supported him from the cheap seats while he was at the UN because that place is a cesspool with almost nothing redeemable to it and a dickhead representing us there is what was (is) needed.

That being said, Bolton had this to say about our recent change of heart and policy towards North Korea. He may be right. Sadly, we may learn that the hard way. I mused when I heard the "news" about NK's declaration and how it really didn't say much.

I thought, well surely our diplomats know a lot more of what's really going on, then what is being given to the media.

Then I heard this morning that ships with grain (UN sponsored) are arriving in the ports of NK even as we speak.

Honestly, I'm worried, but my thoughts while driving to work included this:

"We'll just have to trust those people like Condi Rice, our Secretary of State, that she and her people are looking out for us..." Aren't they??

What really is going on?

The nuke / grain thing and the speed of it is awfully suspicious to me.

Are we just averting NK's mass starvation here? They have been on the brink before and somehow always get bailed out.

So now there is only one leg left holding up the axis of evil?

It's A Lawless Generation

Don't fight the law.

I Will Serve You Humbly, Faithfully, Eclectically

Gates Moves On

Say whatever you want about Microsoft’s Bill Gates. Devil or angel. I only know him through what little I’ve read about him. Have read almost nothing by him. I know he is very very very rich, he’s famous, and he’s generous. I read that some call him really really lucky too. We’ll always think what we want about the rich, famous, and powerful.

But I have to admire this man at 52 who can step down from the Microsoft throne (a very high place indeed) and actually go away and do other things with his life. Yes, he has all the money in the world to do what he wants. He is one of the lucky ones who can move on at the top of his game. But very few corporate titans actually do what Gates has chosen to do. They either are driven out on a rail or stay long long past their expiration date. Especially a company's founding father.

The other thing about Mr. Gates; he has the heart to do good for a hurting world and has the means to assist in actually making structural changes with the possibility of those changes being sustained.

I tend to think that most former Corporate Kings end up on the golf course and lying at the side of their pools asking their buddies, “I wonder what the poor people are doing today.”

Gates has always been different.

It May Be Just One

But someone somewhere in healthcare, thank God, has a sense of humor.

HT: My YouTube Generation Son

Following The Orders of My Masters

Technorati Profile

Mensh

(Something for everybody in this multi-media extravaganza of a post)

Tim McGraw ousts a big fat concert fan who needed ousting right in the middle of a song. He doesn't miss a beat! "I'm not looking for trouble." He's also willing to throw a punch if need be. Riveting footage!

I took a liking to Faith Hill's husband the minute I heard Indian Outlaw. It was a hoot to me, especially the "buffalo briefs" line. Well here's another reason for me to like him. And I'm gonna post the sexiest pix I can find of his wife to honor him today.

Indian Outlaw, from 1994
MP3 File

Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks - Summer in Monterey

From another album evidencing the recovery of the formerly down-and-out Beach Boy, Orange Crate Art, 1995.

I was inspired to post this song in honor of Sharon Mollerus and this post at her very interesting blog. Her intellect scares the likes of me. She's as close to a Renaissance Woman as one can be. Sharon also takes fantastic pictures. Check out her photo blog.

And heaven forbid, like many of us with that certain "problem," Sharon appears to buy books and keeps them on her shelves unread waiting for that perfect someday when she picks it up and it all makes sense.

MP3 File

Enjoying

Not through the book yet but were you aware that the WWW's father was a preacher, a college friend ends up as Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wizard of Oz is much much deadlier than the buffoon he appears to be in the film? What caused this unique intelligent and articulate green girl to go all wicked on us? Or is she just sadly misunderstood? All this and more!!!!!

4.5 Stars from Eclecticity.

What A Story!

I was rooting for the California Bulldogs. Fresno State. Whodathunk?

On Record

I stumbled across this old looking book last month and I did a double-take. I quickly took these shots, and probably should have bought the book for shits and giggles.

Yes, that is an old-looking leather-bound edition of a book about Kato Kaelin, the fella that was living on the O.J. Simpson compound when the henious murders took place. A sure classic. Surely blogworthy.

You can also purchase this book in mere paperback on Amazon for a whole 1 penny if you'd like.

Submit Neuroses Here

Actually, here.

"Everybody's normal until you get to know them."

HT: Pre-Surfer

"Ball Girl"

She's amazing. It's amazing. Where is she now?

HT: The Pre-Surfer

A Field Guide To Office Workers

(Click to enlarge)

By Nitrozac and Snaggy

HT: Teambuilding Is For Suckers

J.C. Penny

is allegedly furious about this viral ad aimed at teens that advertises them but is not by them. But can it help them too? Interesting.

Watch the video. Oh the times we live in.

Will Rogers Opines

Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate?

I don't know jokes; I just watch the government and report the facts.

Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U.S. Senators.

The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.

There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.

There now. I feel better.

Color Me Inspired

Congress to the rescue. All of us who aren't in trouble, who had nothing to do with the the housing "crisis" (of course), should be more than willing to do our fair share to bail out everybody that did.

The mortgage aid plan would let the Federal Housing Administration back $300 billion in new, cheaper home loans for an estimated 400,000 distressed borrowers who otherwise would be considered too financially risky to qualify for government-insured, fixed-rate loans.

Sounds to me like cheaper home loans for risky borrowers at taxpayer expense. Makes sense to them.

I tell ya, it's time for some quotes about congress by Will Rogers.

Johnny Rivers - Poor Side of Town

From 1966.

MP3 File