Going, Going, Gone

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to acknowledge America's newest author (and boy, do we use that term loosely):

Rogue, schmogue, whatever. As long as you go.

Oh yeah, you're going.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

This is Easy

This Week's Discussion Question comes from Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes Glenn Beck:

Can you imagine what America would be like if we didn't have Fox News?"

Glenn suggests that progressives would think it'd be utopia. (We'd settle for a populace that's better informed less disinformed and less afraid.)

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Holy crap, he's finally right! It would be utopia! "

Discuss.

It was twenty years ago today...

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question (and will step out of the third person) for a bit of personal reflection.

A co-worker and I were chatting yesterday about The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", an album he'd just listened to for the first time in a long time while driving to his uncle's funeral. His uncle succumbed to cancer at 56 and it reminded me that it was 20 years ago today that my dad lost his battle with lung cancer at the much too young age of 58.

20 years. Twenty years! The then-youngest grandchild, who'd just turned two, graduated from college in May. The now-youngest grandchild, born nearly 10 years after his passing, just turned ten.

And I'm now six years shy of 58 and I am reminded of what a gift each day is. Recently, I asked a former pastor how she and her husband were enjoying retirement, she said simply, "We're doing the things we want to do and not doing the things we don't want to do."

Yeah. Do the things you want to do. Don't do the things you don't want to do. Savor each day. You never know how many you're gonna get.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress. Heck, we don't even remember what the current question is, but feel free to wander off into "Should I get the Stereo Box set, the Mono Box set, or the individual Beatle albums?"

Breakdown Dead Ahead

Look at this and when you're done shaking your head, take a whack at This Week's Discussion Question:

How long before Glenn Beck completely melts down?

Please keep the discussion civil and shame on you if you're watching Beck for the impending flameout. Also, shame on you if you're watching Beck thinking he's got some insight to share. To borrow a line from the great Fredonian philosopher Rufus T. Firefly, Beck "may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot."

Discuss.

School's Out

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to say that if you object to this, the only acceptable note that ought to be accepted to excuse your kid from watching it/coming to school that day (Who knew Fox News was pro-truancy?) would read:

Please excuse (kid's name here) from class today because her/his parents are morons.

Also, we'd like to remind you that even though Van Jones resigned, it doesn't mean that Republicans aren't assholes.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

This Is How We Do It

Bill Moyers hit one out of the park Friday night:



Here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Is PBS an example of a government-run agency outperforming the private sector?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "If you added Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity's intellect to that of Crazy Michele and Princess Dumbass of the Northwoods [1] how many hammers would you have to take out of the bag to make it competitive?"

Discuss.

[1] h/t Charles Pierce

Idiot Wind, Pt. 949

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to bring you yet another gem from TWDQ's former congressional representative. (Have we mentioned that getting out of her district was the best side benefit of last summer's move? We have? A couple of hundred times? Oh, well.)

Here's Michele!:

"They want to make sure no women, no woman becomes president before a Democrat woman," Bachmann said, "and so they're doing everything they can to, I think, sabotage women like Sarah Palin, perhaps women like myself, or similarly situated women, to make sure that we don't have a prominent national voice."

Damn it, kids! She's onto us!

Okay, you've sussed us out, Congresswoman. We just want a "Democrat woman" in the big chair before you or Sarah get a turn.

Doesn't have a thing to do with the fact that the two of you are dumber than a bag of hammers. (And that's the two of you combined vs. a single bag of hammers. And it's not a large bag.)

Nope, not a thing.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Odds 'n Sods

No, we didn't forget about this blog once we got on the Facebook thingy. Been a busy summer, but the graduate is now off to Chicago for a year with Lutheran Volunteer Corps, so after a great summer, things are quieting down around TWDQ HQ once again.

(Speaking of Lutherans, here's a big shout-out to the ELCA, which voted last week to allow openly gay clergy to serve churches. As a result of another of vote last week, the ELCA is now in full communion with our brand, which, sadly, is not yet as enlightened on this issue.)

As such, we thought we'd dump out some random thoughts that have crossed our minds over the summer, so feel free to discuss them if you'd like.

Quotes of the summer:

Michelle Cottle, on the theory that the Obama Administration's program of soliciting tips about health care disinformation so they could fight the b.s. was really encouraging "informants" to help them build an "enemies list":

"I have given up hope for a loyal opposition. I'd settle for a sane one."

Next, Minnesota Twins first base coach Jerry White, who also works with the outfielders. LaVelle E. Neal first related this story in his blog, but here's the tidied-up version that ran in the dead-tree edition:

The MLB Network aired a replay of the 1981 National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Expos. Since Jerry White played for Montreal at the time -- he hit .313 with a homer in the series -- the clubhouse television was turned up.

"Hey, Jerry, did you play in this game?'' Carlos Gomez asked. "I just wanna know if you did anything in this game.''

Gomez asked the question again, and White couldn't resist.

"I hit the cutoff man!'' White fired back, "I know that for sure!''

Jon Stewart, who, after running clips of Glenn Beck moaning about his rectal surgery ordeal to his tiny CNN Headline News audience and how the U.S. health care system nearly killed him, juxtaposed with his Fox "News" cheerleading for the totally excellent U.S. health care system, summed it up:

"I'll tell you what really doesn't speak well of our health care system: That in those 16 months, the hole that they stitched up in Glenn Beck's ass hasn't healed enough for him to stop talking out of it."

And we'll close by saying that we're pleased that Eric Holder's taking baby steps toward doing the right thing on torture. Here's dday, with the most hopeful paragraph we've read in a long time:

We know that none of the torture here happened by happenstance, but through a directed policy emanating from the top. Instead of prosecuting "bad apples" who were young MPs on the night shift in Baghdad, we're talking about mid-level career CIA. They aren't dupes, and they know how to shift the attention up the chain of command. I don't think these interrogators will live with being the scapegoats. It may take some time, but we really could see some legitimate accountability here. And I hope so - because otherwise this will remain a black mark that can never wash out.

We hope so, too.

More soon...

Messing with My Head

Went to the Twins game last night and saw The Great .400 Hope Joe Mauer bang into four ground outs to the second baseman, one of which became a 4-6-3 double play. Today, he whiffs four times in five hitless trips to the dish, bringing us to This Week's Discussion Question:

Can you screw up your swing before being in the Home Run Derby?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "I sure hope the left field fence is low," or "Weekly, huh? Been about nine weeks, dude."

Discuss.

Reason #50809 Why Baseball is Better...

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to bring you yet another reason why--despite one of its biggest stars being booted for 50 games for testing positive for a female fertility drug--baseball is still the Best. Game. Ever.

Pioneer Press beat writer Phil Miller had this excellent item in his ugly road trip wrap-up blog post this morning:

-- Speaking of (Manny) Ramirez, (Michael) Cuddyer was generous with his time in talking about the case, and about how careful players have to be to protect themselves. And it led to a pretty funny moment. In asking him about how much players really know about what they're taking, I pointed to a bottle on the shelf of his locker. "How sure can you be that that's safe?" I said, pointing to the bottle. Cuddyer laughed, and said, "Pretty sure, since I only put that stuff on my glove." Good answer.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Is This Thing Working?

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to note that after reading this fine piece of "journalism", we breathlessly await Politico's upcoming pieces in the series, "Does human trafficking work?" and "Does genocide work?"

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Drift Away

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to reassure Minnesotans that Senator-in-waiting Al Franken doesn't stand a snowball's chance of snaring the title of "America's Most Embarrassing Congressperson" when there's competition like this, kids. (And it's not Crazy Michele this time!)

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Update: Giant Blooming Pansies!* This dim bulb thinks he outwitted the Nobel Prize-winning Secretary of Energy.

*We saw that on a florist's sign this weekend and are trying it out as a catchphrase.

Sunday Morning Comin' Down

One of the great things about participating in a community of faith that worships at 5 p.m. Sundays is that you can sleep in a bit, then lounge around in your bathrobe on Sunday mornings. The downside is that if you have the teevee on, you can frequently catch something that'll make you spit your Cheerios across the room.

Like when Serious Person Peggy Noonan said this to George, George, Cokie, and Sam about the decision to release the OLC torture memos:

"It's hard for me to look at a great nation issuing these documents and sending them out to the world and thinking, oh, much good will come of that."

Now here's Charles Pierce checking in last Friday, chez Alterman:

I have now lived through three major episodes in my life where the political elite have told me quite plainly that neither I nor my fellow citizens are sufficiently mature to suffer the public prosecution of major crimes committed within my government. The first was when Gerry Ford told me I wasn't strong enough to handle the sight of Richard Nixon in the dock. (Ed. note--I would have thrown a parade.) Dick Cheney looked at this episode and determined that the only thing Nixon did wrong was get caught. The second time was when the entire government went into spasm over the crimes of the Iran-Contra gang and I was told that I wasn't strong enough to see Ronald Reagan impeached or his men packed off to Danbury. Dick Cheney looked at this and determined that the only thing Reagan and his men did wrong was get caught and, by then, Cheney had decided that even that wasn't really so very wrong and everybody should shut up. Now, Barack Obama, who won election by telling the country and its people that they were great because of all they'd done for him, has told me that I am not strong enough to handle the prosecution of pale and vicious bureaucrats, many of them acting at the behest of Dick Cheney, who decided that the only thing he was doing wrong was nothing at all, who have broken the law, disgraced their oaths, and manifestly belong in a one-room suite at the Hague. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm sick and goddamn tired of being told that, as a citizen, I am too fragile to bear the horrible burden of watching public criminals pay for their crimes and that, as a political entity, my fellow citizens and I are delicate flowers encased in candy-glass who must be kept away from the sight of men in fine suits weeping as they are ripped from the arms of their families and sent off to penal institutions manifestly more kind than those in which they arranged to get their rocks off vicariously while driving other men mad.

Hey, Mr. President. Put these barbarians on trial and watch me. I'll be the guy out in front of the courtroom with a lawn chair, some sandwiches, and a cooler of fine beer. I'll be the guy who hires the brass band to serenade these criminal bastards on their way off to the big house. I'll be the one who shows up at every one of their probation hearings with a copy of the Constitution, the way crime victims show up at the parole board when their attacker comes up for release. I'll declare a national holiday -- Victory Over Torture Day -- and lead the parade right up whatever gated street it is that Cheney lives on these days. Trust me, Mr. President. I can take it.

So here's This Week's Discussion Question:

What would you give to see Pierce at that table with Noonan, Roberts, and Will?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Man, it'd make yesterday's 14-run top of the second at Yankee Stadium look like a 1-0 pitchers' duel" or "Yeah! And wearin' Levi's!"

Discuss.

Update: Jon Stewart takes Ms. Noonan downtown in the last bit of this segment and Stephen Colbert just put Mr. Will's anti-denim nonsense through the wringer a few moments ago. Link coming...

Update: As promised, here's the Colbert link.

I'm Gonna D.J.

We're only five games into the new baseball season and we're pleased to present another Greatest. Sport. Ever. edition of This Week's Discussion Question:

We've heard of bench jockeying, but how cool is a sport where players are disk jockeying?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "The Cell? They call it the Cell?"

Discuss.

Houses of the Holy

Because we're sick of Crazy Michele and would rather think about Opening Day, here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Why do we have the feeling that no one will do anything like this for the Metrodome?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "$4 box seats? Last year a beer was $9" or "Yogi's right--it does get late early out there in left."

Discuss.

Idiot Wind

No, we didn't give up blogging for Lent. Crazy busy around here.

Speaking of crazy, we interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to exclaim yet again how glad we are that this piece of work is no longer our representative in Congress.

Go watch the video. (We especially love the fantastic double-take our former pastor does in the second part of the clip.)

Holy mother of pearl, if that wasn't the dumbest question anyone's ever asked in a congressional hearing, there was no doubt about it after the THIRD FREAKING TIME she asked it.

To think that there are people who'll think Minnesota will become a laughing stock when Al Franken finally gets his certificate of election.

Too late, kids. We already are.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Tinted Windows

Okay, it's fairly well-known that Fountains of Wayne are minor deities at TWDQ HQ. It's also no secret that Hanson was played heavily and enjoyed by everyone at what would someday become TWDQ HQ. Some of us saw Cheap Trick play live long before Budokan and shortly thereafter, and there's a copy of Smashing Pumpkins' best-of CD chez TWDQ.

So here's This Week's Discussion Question:

How did these guys get together and decide to form a band?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "What?" or "Huh?"

Discuss.

Naked

In the debate over the economic stimulus bill, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) said this:

"The emperor has no clothes! Somebody has to say it. I'm referring to this additional bailout, this spending bill that spends everything we've got on nothing we are sure about."

That prompts us to drop the veil from This Week's Discussion Question:

After eight long years of a petulant little dictator wanna-be preening and prancing around nekkid as a jaybird to the cheers of his fellow Republicans while flushing away trillions on a war we were lied into and tax cuts for the fabulously wealthy, are you joking, Senator?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Could we please have a lot more of that 'Whaddya think stimulus is?' snark?" or "We caught a bit of Rep. Mike Pence on Meet the Press Sunday and think that he and Crazy Michele could have a epic stupid-off. We hope Rep. Barney Frank didn't get some 'contact dumb' just from sitting next to him."

Discuss.

Don't Call Us, We'll Call You

In a Politico interview, former Vice President Cheney fired a shot (ba-dum-boom) across President Obama's bow, warning that we'll all die in our beds there's a "high probability" of a terrorist attack if we don't leave the Constitution in tatters Bush administration policies of illegal surveillance and torture in place.

Cheney said Obama would put the country at risk if he backtracked on Bush administration security policies.

"When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, then I worry," Cheney said.

Protecting the country's security is "a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business," he said. "These are evil people. And we're not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek."

And who would know tough, mean, dirty, nasty, and evil better than the former Vice President? But we digress. What we really came to do is toss out This Week's Discussion Question:

Who gives a damn what Dick Cheney thinks anymore?

Please keep the discussion civil and do feel free to wander off into "Dick, when we want to hear from you again, we'll send around someone with a subpoena--and we'll ensure that your rights are read loudly and clearly enough that even you might understand them."

Discuss.

Supernatural Superserious

This afternoon is an American High Holy Day, with just about everyone in the United States hunkered down in front of a television set pondering This Week's Discussion Question:

What'll Bruce play at halftime?

Please keep the discussion civil and feel free to wander off into "Pitchers and catchers report in 13 days," or "...One! Two! Three!...the highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive..."

Discuss.

Update: Cool. Couldn't have asked for a better set, outside of giving them an additional 2.75 hours. The great "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" with horns, The Anthem, a brief snippet of the title cut of the new album (which is growing on me slowly), and "Glory Days", with some terrific Bruce and Miami Steve interplay to wrap it up. (Some day we'll go on at length about the theology of two or three people leaning in to share a microphone.)

And if, from this day forward, the football/Hail Mary couplet replaces the baseball/speedball lines that kick off "Glory Days", it'll be okay with us.

"I'm goin' to Disneyland!"

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Now back to the guacamole dip...