Damp Cats

Here's a special link for my special wife, who could look at pictures of other people's pets online all day. The link will also serve to piss off Tim, so it's nice when a link can serve a dual function like that.

It's also nice when a blogger knows all of his readers by name, isn't it? You won't get this kind of personalized service at the Daily Kos!

The Great Iraq Swindle

If you have any outrage left in you, this article from Rolling Stone on contractor fraud in Iraq should get your dander up.

Follow-up: Texas governor spares getaway driver

Well, this is good and surprising news. I'm an absolutist about the death penalty, anyway, but this seemed like a particularly egregious case.

The Office

Watch this What we did on our summer vacation promo.

Desperate NASA turns to the Force

The space agency will include the original prop of Luke's light sabre aboard the next shuttle. Here is a collection of photos from the ceremonial hoo-ha led by Chewbacca.

DULLARD TAKE: Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

Everybody still hurts

Two items on the two-year anniversary of Katrina:

• A mutton-chopped Michael Stipe documents the post-storm devastation in New Orleans.

• Our Dullard editorial seeking the resignation of another Michael, this one named Chertoff, still stands.

Aye-aye, Cap'n!

25 Weirdest Animals -- including the blobfish, which bears a striking similarity to everyone's favorite also-ran, Ziggy.

Dude, they burned it too soon

The giant Burning Man, the icon of the desert festival of the same name, goes up in flames days ahead of schedule. A guy who makes a living pretending to be Hunter S. Thompson is arrested.

Here's how a Burning Man attendee named Ranger Sasquatch assessed the situation:

"Someone went to a great extent to interfere with everyone else's burn. I think, frankly, an attention whore has made a plea for attention."

Plans are under way to build a new Man in time for the traditional burn.

Snark Chef

If you've been watching Top Chef (and maybe even if you haven't) you'll definitely want to check out Anthony Bourdain's weekly blog posts about the show.

He didn't even flush

Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, despite a guilty plea, says a "lewd conduct" incident in an airport bathroom was just a misunderstanding. Study the mug shot, read the police report and decide for yourself.

Here are some Dullard tips on how to avoid this kind of situation when visiting our nation's public bathrooms:

• DO enter the bathroom with a mission: get in and get out quickly.
• DO try to avoid touching as little as possible.
• DO keep quiet. This is not the place for chit-chat.
• DO keep your eyes to yourself.
• DO your business.
• DO flush the toilet if it doesn't do so automatically. The next person deserves a clean bowl.
• DO wash your hands.
• DO get the hell out when you're done.

• DON'T linger in front of an occupied stall.
• DON'T peek into an occupied stall.
• DON'T make eye contact with the person in an occupied stall.
• DON'T tap your right foot when seated in a stall. This can be perceived as a signal that you are interested in "lewd conduct."
• DON'T let your right foot touch the left foot of the person in the stall next to you.
• DON'T repeatedly swipe your hand under the stall divider for a few seconds. This also can be perceived as a signal that you are interested in "lewd conduct."
• DON'T try to impress the police with your business card while you are being arrested.

These tips will almost certainly keep you out of trouble and out of the headlines. That's essential if you are a "family values" politician.

A curious footnote: At the end of the police report, the officer says that Craig was worried about missing his flight. A detective called the airline to try to get the flight held, but no one answered. Good to see Big Air's customer service coming through in the clutch.

Don't Go Back to Rockville

Turns out she did come back before too long.

Happy birthday, Big Mac!

The famed burger turns 40 this week. Here's the back story.

I've never eaten one, preferring the Quarter Pounder during my McDonald's days. Something about "special sauce" made the Big Mac unappealing.

Take our latest poll, this one on fast food, conveniently located in the left-hand column of this blog. Results of the previous poll found that our readers believe that Ann Coulter is asexual. That would seem to settle it.

Do ya like Sam Phillips?

You should like Sam Phillips.

A happier post

Something to put a smile on your face for the weekend: Canadian power-pop group the Golden Dogs' video for "Construction Worker." For anyone who likes smiley dancing girls in cute dresses set to a Canuck indy-pop beat:


If you dig that (and surely you must) check out the link above and click on the white typewriter for another swell video.

Sickening

What the hell. I can't stand that I live in a country where proxies for the government are running this ad:


To top it off, Ari Fleicher, head of the group running this $15-million dollar campaign, couldn't even tell you the soldier's name.

Happy birthday, Ray Bradbury!

The sci-fi scribe, once dissed on "The Simpsons," turns 87 today. The New York Times offers this profile.

Mining history

Reading this article about the mine disaster in Utah (as well as the one in China), I recalled an excellent book I read last year, "Coal: A Human History."

Author Barbara Freese traces the evolution of coal's use, and her book stands out among similar "commodities" books, which include examinations of salt and even the humble cod. "Coal" offers stark details of when England was coated in soot, but it also has an optimistic view of how we can shake our dependence on coal, an essentially filthy way to get energy.

You can buy the book dirt cheap at Half.com, or check it out from your local library.

Jenna Bush to wed

First daughter Jenna Bush is engaged to Henry Hager, a young Republican from Virginia.

We wish the best to the happy couple as they get married and experience the physical act of love for the first time. (They have been abstaining, haven't they?)

Happy birthday, India!

The world's largest democracy turns 60 today.

Makeover in progress

Yes, we are changing the look of the Gazette. It's possible that some comments have been lost in the transition, and we apologize for any inconvenience. [I think I fixed it -- Franko]

Let us know what you think.

UPDATE: I fiddled with the colors some more, getting rid of the blue in favor of green. And the "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dullard" has a home. It all looks best when the window is narrow rather than full screen.

Amnesty action

The state of Texas is about to execute a man who's biggest crime may be that he merely witnessed a murder. Please go to this site to learn about it and send the governor of Texas a letter or fax asking for clemency.

One day at a time

The Van Halen reunion is on — the most interesting thing about it being the resemblance between new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli.

Previous posts on Van Halen here.

More Talk, Less Rock

15 Masters Of Onstage Banter from the Onion A.V. Club.

Merv Griffin is no longer with us

Former TV host turned game show impresario (and music man) Merv Griffin is dead at age 82. He lives on here. (Links are to YouTube.)

Murder in LA

LA Times has an awesome use of Google maps, from which we learn:

• After 30, people gradually stop with the killing each other so much.


• No surprise, really, but there are a disproportionate number of Hispanic and black homicide victims. In fact, most of the points flagged on the map are in heavily minority-populated areas.


• Males are more than 7 times as likely to be murdered as females. And you ladies begrudge us a small thing like higher salaries...?


• Guns don't kill people...no, wait, yeah they do.


• Sundays a good day for a killin'.


• The Po-po are almost as big a threat to you as your own family.

It's a Southern thing

One of the few Southern traditions I can get solidly on board with: sweeet tea.

LISTS: Best fictional bands

Something called Earvolution offers "The Ten Best Bands That Never Existed." The top spot may surprise you.

DULLARD TAKE: I'd add the Way-Outs, from a Beatles-inspired "Flintstones" episode. Speaking of Beatles-inspired, the Monkees could be argued to be fictional.

Something in the way Layla moves

Patti Boyd tells all about her love life with George Harrison and Eric Clapton. She claims that Ringo's first wife, Maureen, even got into the mix.

Thumbs up

Gene Siskel is no longer with us, and Roger Ebert has been ailing for some time. Movie reviewing itself is suffering as well, thanks to newspaper layoffs, marketing flim-flams and other maladies.

At least now you can watch Siskel and Ebert in their glory years. This collection of reviews from their show is searchable by movie, actor or director. But not everything is there. I couldn't find "Brazil," for example, which must have been reviewed on the show at the time of its release. Still, this is a great resource and a nice trip back to a better time for film criticism.

Evel Knievel has a few aches and pains

A good profile of the canyon-jumping daredevil turned condo-dwelling retiree.

El Ron to the rescue

The Minnesota bridge collapse is the latest disaster that Scientology has responded to. Are L. Ron Hubbard's followers just trying to help, or are they trying to add to their ranks? This story at ABC tries to tell us.