all-encompassingly

greg graffin's ph.d

there have been rumors for about the last 10 years that he was working on something like this. greg graffin, the frontman for one of my top-five favorite bands of all-time (bad religion) was recently awarded a ph.d from cornell. you can get a pretty good idea of his work here. there is a version of the actual questionnaire he sent out to scientists here. i also recommend the video interview with graffin. i will withhold judgment on the study, since i haven't read it.

ward churchill continues to wow crowds with his use of free speech

the wise and irreproachable sage, ward churchill, recently dispensed his unique and valuable Speech to bill maher and his audience on HBO. watch the video here or here. i am inclined to think churchill really believes the things he said in the interview--BUT!--i have recently learned an important lesson: the channel on which a person's comments are made may affect the meaning of those comments.

for example, nancy soderberg was on COMEDY CENTRAL when she expressed her hope that the newly emerging democracies in the middle east will collapse, so it was a JOKE! get it? speech on comedy channel = jokes, ok? likewise, since bill maher and ward churchill were on HBO (a movie channel) when maher told us that it was wrong for us to bomb nazi germany at the end of world war II, and churchill promised us that many of the world trade center victims were evil, they must have just been acting--merely reciting their lines.

i mean, come on! its just entertainment! if we are to see who these people really are, we'll need to see them on an actual news channel! perhaps this video of ward churchill would be useful. [video & transcript]

see also our previous coverage of ward churchill, as well as some informative blogs: pirateballerina and wardchurchill.blogspot. and finally, i don't agree with the characterization of the family member that jeff jarvis makes in his post, but his comments are worth the read.

Where have we been?

Ice fishing in Alaska of course!

If no movie appears, click here to download Macromedia Flash Player 7.

Steve Ballmer Plugs Windows 1.0

Here's a funny video of current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer back in the 1980's pitching Windows 1.0

Although not aired on TV apparently, it was made for Microsoft employees.

If no movie appears, click here to download Macromedia Flash Player 7.

Many thanks go to the Spanish blog tintachina for providing this code to bloggers everywhere.

When a Japanese baby is born....

This is our first (of many!) video posts. This is an ad produced in Australia, showing the birth of the average Japanese baby.

Just press play, and enjoy!

If no movie appears, click here to download Macromedia Flash Player 7.

Many thanks go to the Spanish blog tintachina for providing this code to bloggers everywhere.

video: napoleon dynamite reading letterman's top 10 list

i promised my dentist, a native of preston, idaho, that we would post this video featuring the late show's "top ten signs you're not the most popular guy in your high school". napoleon dynamite (jon heder) presents the list.

and remember, kids: hygiene, tetherball, and bowhunting skills are the key to being popular with your peers. for complete instructions, get the napoleon dynamite DVD.

video: simpson booed off stage for crime against humanity

a brief, but damning clip of the former lip-synchers atrocious performance at the orange bowl halftime show is here: [Ashlee Simpson Booed Off Stage]. many thanks to lipsinc.us for hosting the video. [listen really close between the 20 & 22 second mark on the clip. you'll hear someone shout, "YOU SUCK!"]. after the show, ashlee was consoled by the water-bearing lady.

if her career isn't over now, it will never die. she will be known as the indestructable woman; nations will fear her and jungle animals will flee from her presence. for the love of all that is holy, let her career be over. she sucks. sorry to be so harsh; if she's sad, she can go spend some of her millions of dollars she got by duping consumers.

for our coverage of ashlee's past problems and professional failures, see the following posts:

ashlee simpson: manufactured by MTV, deconstructed by SNL
simp-sinc saga continues

for better, (but cruder) descriptions of ashlee and her latest issues i recommend:

tony pierce on how the music execs are to blame
anthony russell on how virtuous girls should not follow ashlee's example

the choice: a helpful video

in 2000 i was out of the country and had limited access to information on the presidential election. i asked my mom to send me news clippings, and there was one, in particular, that helped me make up my mind. it was a series of baseball questions that major league baseball posed to both candidates, and then reprinted in the world series program. bush tended to give short, direct responses, qualifying them with reasons. gore seemed to go on forever trying to show how much he knew, and usually ended without taking a position on anything. who knows, maybe he didn't want to offend voters who like domed stadiums?

anyway, the side-by-side comparison convinced me that al gore was a lying, bloviating, disingenuous sack, and that george bush would say what he really thought, and be direct about it.

i've tried to find the article through lexis nexis, newslibrary.org, majorleaguebaseball.com, and even the archives of the newspaper that originally printed it, but it is nowhere to be found. the article so influenced me that i taped it into my journal. it's not in the best shape, but you can still read it. part I part II

this year, americans are faced with a similarly easy choice. and like 2000, there is a side-by-side comparison that should end all doubt. watch the video here or here. it will make your day while helping you make up your mind.

also, bush and kerry talk a little baseball here. via kyer.

ashlee simpson: manufactured by MTV, deconstructed by SNL

ashlee simpson messed up her scheduled lip-sync on saturday night live this weekend. download the hilarious video here [3MB, windows media]. i feel bad for her, but it's only right that the saying applies, "live by the fake image, die by the fake image".

usa today was the first official news outlet to pick up the story:

SNL viewers heard Simpson — her microphone at her side and her mouth closed — singing Pieces of Me, which she had performed earlier on the show. The chagrined singer did a jig before leaving the stage, while her band still played.

Simpson, 20, apologized at the end of the show and blamed her band for playing "the wrong song." Her record label and publicist said it was a computer glitch. [source]

my prediction for the future of her career? the corporate marketing people who created her will send her to guest-star on "newlyweds" a couple of times and she'll be back to rolling in the dough before you can say "manufactured by MTV".

Maybe Something...Maybe Nothing...But Definitely Strange

This is downright spooky....or cool, depending on your interpretation. And depending on what happens in the next couple days.

If you watched the debate last night you might remember that Bush seemed to want to talk to Kerry for a couple extra seconds after they shook hands. I didn't think anything of it at the time more than "That's weird..." But now some interesting stuff is circulating on the net. Here's a summary of the video, from a comment on punditguy:

At 1:29:18 in the video the candidates approach. You can clearly see Bush say, "Where you gonna be?". Kerry's back is to the camera so you can't see his response. Bush then can be seen saying, "We'll find ya."

Note that Bush made the point of pulling Kerry back as Kerry was walking away to ask him the question.

The following is a comment on Kerry's blog from a deaf individual who has a lip-reading interpretation:

anyway, I am new tonight... as you may not have seen me before in here.. just a FYI that I am deaf here and can read lips okay..

at the end of debate where Kerry and Bush shook hands.. Bush was asking Kerry, Can I talk to you later tonight? Kerry said sure then Bush said where would you be? I missed what Kerry said.

I wondered what Bush wanted to talk to Kerry about??
Posted by: Boult on October 14, 2004 02:41 AM

You can watch the actual video, although in low-res, over at The Daily Recycler.

Check out the earnestness on Bush's face: "Where you gonna be?" "We'll find you."

What on earth could Bush want to talk to Kerry about?

A rather cool theory:

I already found it very strange, the first time I saw that exchange. Especially the way Bush pulled Kerry back: this is not a "thank you, see you at my inauguration" type thing.

The only reason that I can think of for Bush to ask Kerry for a one-on-one right after the debate (if that is indeed what he asked for) is that something urgent happened for which it is crucial to have a bipartisan discussion at the highest level, which he felt he had to ask Kerry personally.

First thing that popped in my mind is a national security alert, but given Bush's demeanour when he spoke with reporters on Air Force One after the debate that seems unlikely.

My completely unsubstantiated theory: the October surprise: Osama has been caught. Bush would love to announce this asap, of course. However, he cannot do this without giving Kerry the heads-up. Also, to avoid it being seen as a Republican trick he will want to make an effort to share the credit in a "this is not just a triumph for me, but for all Americans"-type way.

Where is Oliver Stone when you need him?

Zoef, London

My guess is big news in the War on Terror, perhaps bad news, like confirmation that the Chechen rebels are actually here in the U.S. and may attack a school or public facility before the election. Perhaps brokering an agreement for a "ceasefire" of sorts if such a thing happens? Who knows...

But it is fun to speculate what may have been said.

"ask the men who served with john kerry 30 years ago"

heart-stopping. that's what it was like when i heard the audio on the radio yesterday. it was such a powerful message that when it finished, i gave a manly cheer through gritted teeth, with accompanying fist pump, as i drove down the road in my delivery truck. i couldn't find the video anywhere on the internet, but paulie had the scoop. human events online has the unbelievable video. [link]

go watch it; you won't be disappointed.

UPDATE (via doug): You can download the Kerry/Swift Boat Veterans video here if the other server gives you trouble.

Great Video Memorializing Reagan

Check out www.georgewbush.com and watch the "Reagan Tribute Video" that covers some of Reagan's memorable speeches.

Since Everyone Is Upset About Bush's 9/11 Video Clips...

Here is my own favorite from September 11th.

Thanks be given to "Allah Is In The House" for his posting of this video. Amazing that al-Jazeera West let it on the air.

Click here to watch.

Be scared, be very very scared

If you have never seen a grown man nosedive into self-induced madness, then help yourself to this video clip of Howard Dean.

Click here to laugh, and be scared.

beantown freeps question A.N.S.W.E.R. peeps

back when the iraq war was in full swing, there was a lot of fun to be had in protesting with (or against) the protesters. if you haven't already (or if you haven't had your sides split with laughter in awhile), check out the numbered links in our right sidebar, just above the picture of helen thomas.

i think protesting like that is kinda cheesy, but when it is done to get a laugh, i can endorse it. our friends at pardonmyenglish.com were part of a free republic crashing of a recent A.N.S.W.E.R. protest, and they have the hilarious pics and stories to prove it. [enjoy]

for your convenience, here are the links to coverage of the earlier protests:

(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)

and if you like making fun of democratic presidential candidates, like one of the fellows with the sign, check out ann coulter's column this week [link]