NYT: Jet Plot Shows Growing Ability of Qaeda Affiliates

When I think about what the Birther movement and the Teabaggers would do with news of a successful terror attack committed on the U.S. by a skinny, African, Al Qaeda operative from Yemen, I get the sads real bad. [Link]

Happy New Year!!
2010!!

Unicorn chaser: The plane was bound for Detroit, so let's all enjoy some very political proto-punk from Death via the Evan "Funk" Davies Show [song | whole playlist ]

Ellis vs. Predator

Out For Blood (or at least anwsers)

A new Gallup Poll claims that the majority of American want—at the very least—some kind of investigation into potential criminal activities by the Bush Administration.

While I agree with them, I also understand that navigating this current economic crisis means all hands on deck and that alienating the whiny babies in the GOP is a luxury we can't afford yet. [via TPM DC]

Newsweek's "The Hills"/"The City" Parody "The District" Is Way, Way Better Than It Has Any Right To Be

It's also (as my high school aged brother pointed out) a surprisingly comprehensive recap if you haven't been following presbo's first 100 days.

Episode 1:



Episode 2:

Andy Rooney Officially A Viral Comedy Meme (To Me)

In the grand tradition of Carrot Top and Gallagher, 60 Minutes' curmudgeonly levity peddler Andy Rooney is now beginning an ignominious descent into the ranks of the walking punchlines.

My chronology is sketchy—because I actually have been living in a cave over the past year—but it seems like the "Andy Rooney Game" begot "China's 'Andy Rooney'" at The Onion, and that this now gives us a Daily Show "Moment of Zen" that (and this is crucial) works like the "Andy Rooney Game," but was delivered free of supporting context from the rest of that day's episode:



So, I posit that it's only a matter of time before: 1.) adolescent comedy nerds start making Andy Rooney jokes amongst themselves, even though 85% of them didn't know who Andy Rooney was a year ago; 2.) Either SNL or a film project involving SNL alumni convinces Rooney to make a self-effacing cameo; and 3.) Rooney (in a fashion similar to the John McLaughlin / Dana Carvey case) perversely takes this attention as flattery and begins to act like a caricature of himself.

I really wish we could stop this from happening, mainly because the man is at death's door and deserves to die with some dignity.

Psyche! Ha ha.
Double Psyche! I actually do feel bad.

I Swear These People Are About To Make Me Ignorant Up In Here.

What they heck is wrong with you West Plains, Missouri? [Via the Springfield, Missouri News-Leader]

October 31st is coming up and that means Goth Christmas

I think this is a solid costume:

Mutually Consensual Murder In 18th Century New England

From contributing editor for Rolling Stone and Harper's, Jeff Sharlet:

There aren't a lot of readers out there who'll be intrigued by the news that Library Journal's Nancy E. Adams considers my "evocation of the mood of theologian Jonathan Edwards’s work" in my recent book The Family "one of the most compelling this reviewer has ever read," but for a literary sinner in the hands of an angry God like me, it's high praise. The media response to the book has focused almost entirely on the contemporary politics of The Family and the group's role in the Cold War, but for my money, the scariest pages in the book are those about Jonathan Edwards, the most brilliant thinker -- and possibly the creepiest -- in 18th century New England. I wrote part of my chapter about Edwards in a cabin in the woods at the MacDowell Colony. I'd stay up late into the night, reading and re-reading a crumbling, early 19th century edition of Edwards' A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton, a bestseller in its day. I was stuck on -- maybe trapped in -- the story of a young woman named Abigail Hutchinson, a subject of great fascination to the theologian. But I didn't know why until one night, around three in the morning, the fog of arcane language cleared. I realized that I was reading an account of a mutually consensual murder; perverse ascetism; the slow starvation to death of Hutchinson under Edwards' approving gaze.

I ran through the woods in the dark up to the main hall of the writer's colony, where there's a stack of VHS tapes next to an old TV. Somebody had left P.T. Anderson's Boogie Nights, behind. I'd seen it before, but I watched it again, an escape, both fabulous and bleak, from the Edwardsian mood that in the woods seemed to surround me.

[via the Revealer, which I always knew I had in my Google reader for a reason.]

MOVED A DAY (CUZ OF RAIN)!!!! THIS SUNDAY!!!!!! August 31th!!!!!!! 2:30pm!!!

THIS SUNDAY!!!!!! August 31th!!!!!!! 2:30pm!!!

I'm subletting my apt. to pursue cartooning (and general journalistic/historical/scientific weirdness) FULL TIME!

WHICH MEANS there is only one weekend left to throw an amazing BBQ STUNT* SPECTACULAR on my roof celebrating my 25 and 3/4's years of being alive!

Even though I haven't thrown my own birthday-related party since inviting my whole class to see "Back to the Future Part II" in the theater — I will attempt to have lots of delicious things for everyone! (but please bring Foods and Drinks, also, to meet demand.)

ALSO: There will be music, and a kids' pool on the roof. Does that cover everything?

IT DOESN'T: MESSAGE ME ON MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS.

*Due to a recent Park Slope Council ordinance, an area-wide moratorium on spectacular stunt permits is in effect until the next calendar year. In compliance with this there will be no stunts at Matthew Phelan's 25th and 3/4 Anniversary Stunt Spectacular.

THIS SATURDAY!!!!!! August 30th!!!!!!! 2:30pm!!!

I'm subletting my apt. to pursue cartooning (and general journalistic/historical/scientific weirdness) FULL TIME!

WHICH MEANS there is only one weekend left to throw an amazing BBQ STUNT* SPECTACULAR on my roof celebrating my 25 and 3/4's years of being alive!

Even though I haven't thrown my own birthday-related party since inviting my whole class to see "Back to the Future Part II" in the theater — I will attempt to have lots of delicious things for everyone! (but please bring Foods and Drinks, also, to meet demand.)

ALSO: There will be music, and a kids' pool on the roof. Does that cover everything?

IT DOESN'T: MESSAGE ME ON MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS.

*Due to a recent Park Slope Council ordinance, an area-wide moratorium on spectacular stunt permits is in effect until the next calendar year. In compliance with this there will be no stunts at Matthew Phelan's 25th and 3/4 Anniversary Stunt Spectacular.

The Dark Spiderman

Hey, Buddy? Ergonomic Cup Of Joe?

"The shape breaks free of a nearly universal design constraint of cups, the linear vertical axis."

Designed by award-winning artist David Pier, this ergonomic coffee mug has no funny sayings on it or anything. Plus, it looks weird. According to Pier, from the website:

By using a different approach to the design process I developed a revolutionary cup that is unusual and beautiful in appearance and superior in function. The form flows from the shape of hand and mouth, the weight and volume of the contained fluid, and the relations between these. The undulating rim fits the lips better and prevents spills on the side opposite the handle. A level rim would be easy for the factory but would lessen the user’sexperience. The design no longer is dictated by the manufacturing process. The oval body brings the center of gravity closer to the hand. The shape helps make the strong porcelain even more resistant to breakage. The shape is attractive and interesting from any angle. The handle and body can be held in several ways, all more comfortable than traditional mugs.

[Thanks, Jess! This is, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee.]

More Funny Things [Banner Ads]

[Via Gallery of the Absurd]

Rove/Edwards September Smackdown!

I am super excited about seeing these titans debate in a college auditorium: John Edwards & Karl Rove — Friday, 9/26/08, 8 pm, Alumni Arena University at Buffalo!!!1!! Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning! (I'm already practicing my "Don't Tase Me, Bro!")

Funny Things

This! [Thanks, Jeremy!]; This! [Thanks, myself!]; and This! [Thanks, The Onion!]

Milbank Fucks Up

WaPo's Dough-faced snark merchant, Dana Milbank, flubs a very lazy attempt to put his own imprint on the recent GOP talking point, "Obama's doing a victory lap: that dude's arrogant." As funny as Milbank can be sometimes, I have to admit that his whole "pointing out the absurd theatricality of Washington" shtick is wearing thin. It's not exactly a well-developed tool for critical analysis. In fact, why do I feel like this guy is auditioning to be a Daily Show correspondent every time he's on MSNBC?

Oh, right — because he does shit like this:


[When covering the time Cheney shot his buddy on a hunting trip]


[I have no idea what the context was for this.]

I say "Blergh" to you, Dana Milbank.
Stop being the political equivalent of Dave Barry.

90's Ska Band The Aquabats Have A TV Show Pilot

These guys were in my house briefly during my last year of college (2006) because they were friends with my roommate, Vic Ruggiero, of The Slackers. I remember being told about this show's development way back then and it's nice to see that something came of it. Here's a sneak peek posted by beepboop:

Batmobile To The Dark Side

It looks like political jerks have figured out my main qualms with The Dark Knight and are touting them all as a good thing. For example, the WSJ's Andrew Klavan:

There seems to me no question that the Batman film "The Dark Knight," currently breaking every box office record in history, is at some level a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war. Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past.

Thanks, doofus. Remember that time Bush personally put himself in harm's way? Oh, wait he didn't ever.

You Have To Learn To Crawl Before You Can Walk

Fallon to start `Late Night' online, not on air